What are you looking for in your next holiday? Beautiful landscapes? Wildlife? The chance to visit new places or explore favourite ones in a whole new way?
Old, yet ever new, the New Forest has got you covered. Whether you want to walk, cycle or ride; camp, cosy up in a beamed cottage, or luxuriate in 5* hotel bliss, you’ll find the perfect place to do it here.
Whether you’re bringing the dog, the kids or just yourselves, for a week or a night, a New Forest holiday will give you the space to reconnect gently, and in your own time.
The New Forest has 28 hotels and 27 camping and caravanning sites. We offer glamping, four beautiful holiday parks, farm stays, and self-catering homes, B&Bs and guesthouses.
You can book anything from a thatched cottage, to a cosy cabin, to a humble Shepherd’s Hut. Many of these come with woodburning stoves, thatched roofs, sink-into sofas and rainforest showers, as well as chic decking and secluded gardens for those warm summer months.
Check out Undercastle Cottage at Fordingbridge, right on a river bend; the stone flags are underfloor heated, and they have Victorian-style bathtubs – perfect for that precious me-time.
The New Forest has a string of beautiful, off-the-beaten-track B&Bs with king-size beds, private bathrooms and friendly hosts, who can give you the lowdown on local attractions and the best secret spots. Try The Shimmerings overlooking the Poulner Lakes at Ringwood, or The Filly Inn, at Brockenhurst, for some excellent New Forest walks you can just step outside to.
Fancy a pub break? The New Forest is packed with pubs and inns which offer beautiful rooms, and our award-winning holiday parks have dozens of experiences just waiting for you to enjoy. Our hotels include everything from the tip-top treehouses at the 5* Chewton Glen, to the laid-back charm of the original Pig Restaurant With Rooms – they’ll even lend you a pair of wellies! – to its sister hotel, Lime Wood, and its cult-status Hartnett & Holder restaurant.
Each of these places to stay put you at the heart of this timeless land, which is layered with history stretching back to the Iron Age. The way of life here, with the free-roaming livestock and famous New Forest ponies is unique, and so is our story, which encompasses everyone from snake-catchers to kings.
We have more than 140 miles of hiking tracks and footpaths, where you can enjoy easy-to-follow walks, short strolls or long-distance trails. They’ll take you through pretty villages, beside the sparkling Solent, into the timeless peace of the Ancient Woodland and across lonely heaths, where the only sound you’ll hear is the skylarks.
Cycling is just as easy, too, with a number of top-notch bike hire companies, who can sort you for any type of bike, including adaptive ones for people with physical disabilities, plus safety gear and a few tips on good rides. The New Forest is home to more than 100 miles of car-free cycle trails so we’re the perfect destination for learners or little-ones.
You won’t be surprised to hear that the New Forest is an equestrian paradise, with miles of bridleways and quiet roads and some of our accommodation will allow you to stable your four-legged friend!
We’re also great place to try out watersports; from stand-up paddling, kayaking and Canadian canoeing, to sailing open-water swimming and, when the conditions are right, surfing. Bring your own equipment or get some excellent advice and all the gear from our brilliant adventure companies, who also offer activities including archery, axe-throwing, ropes and bushcraft.
We’re packed with heritage to explore, from Palace House and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu to Breamore House and the jaw-dropping beauty of Exbury Gardens. History abounds again at the New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst, and St Barbe Museum in Lymington, as well as at the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park near Verwood, a living history of these beautiful animals and their place in our landscape.
Thrill-seekers will want to check out Paulton’s Park and little ones will love the chance to spend time at Longdown Activity Farm near Ashurst.
However long you spend here, it still won’t be enough to enjoy all the amazing food and drink we have on offer; from the wine produced on the sunny slopes of our three vineyards, to the produce from our local butchers, farm-shops and chocolatiers.
Our New Forest Marque is a guarantee of excellent-quality food produced locally and you’ll find it all over, from the boutique delis to the restaurants and cafés we’ve become famous for.
We’re home to two food festivals, no less than seven micro and craft breweries, cider producers, and the Kitchen Cookery School at the Chewton Glen, where Chef James Martin hosts the occasional class.
Best news of all? We’re just 90 minutes by train from London Waterloo and less than five minutes from the end of the M27 motorway. See you soon!