It may be one of the biggest hitters on the UK’s Best Places To Live lists, but Brockenhurst is just one of a string of beautiful New Forest towns and villages all waiting for you to discover.
Each has its own unique character and history but what they do have in common are great places to eat, shop, stay and walk.
So, while we wait for spring and warmer weather to makes its appearance, here’s some great New Forest places to take a trip to in 2025!
Ashurst, Eling and Totton
On the Forest’s far eastern edge, close to Southampton Water, Ashurst is home to some intriguing walks, including a boardwalk to bring you closer to the wildlife that packs this waterside and wetland area. Little ones will love a visit to nearby Longdown Activity Farm which, along with beautiful farmyard animals and experiences, also has some great indoor play areas. Along the coast you’ll find historic Eling Tide Mill, which still grinds flour in a method dating back centuries, plus the waterside town of Totton. A little further north, near Ower, you’ll find Paulton’s Park, regarded as one of the top theme parks in the UK and exclusive home to Peppa Pig World.
Image - Longdown Activity Farm
Beaulieu
From the French word meaning ‘Beautiful Place’, this village is one of the most chocolate-box locations you’ll ever see. Part of the Oscar-winning movie A Man For All Seasons was filmed on its historic river and its main hotel and restaurant, The Montagu Arms, has a reputation for fine food, wine and service, with plenty of New Forest ponies and donkeys wandering up the main street in front of you!
The village is home to some excellent pubs, shops and places to eat, as well as nearby Fairweathers Garden Centre – perfect for a morning’s retail therapy. Beaulieu is also home to the National Motor Museum which, together with historic Palace House, family seat of the Montagus, makes for a stand-out day out.
Walkers should try the path along the river to nearby Buckler’s Hard, the historic shipbuilding village that recently starred in the BBC adaption of Great Expectations and was the place that built Admiral Lord Nelson’s favourite ship HMS Agamemnon.

Brockenhurst
Just one visit to this pretty village will explain why The Times newspaper voted it one of the UK’s Best Places to Live in 2020 and why Leaders Estate Agents recently dubbed it the nation’s Most Beautiful Place to Live.
Brock, as the locals call it, has a charming high street where you can frequently witness ponies, donkeys and cattle walking through on their way to the Watersplash ford. It’s filled with pretty, independent boutiques, stores and places to eat, plus easy access to top hotels including the original Pig Restaurant With Rooms.
Along with its own train station, Brockenhurst is the centre of many Forest walks and bike routes and is home to Cyclexperience, who can hire you cycles for every occasion, along with adaptive machines for the less abled and trailers for your furry friend. We recommend the South Taste Trail, a 7-mile route that takes in a variety of pubs and tea rooms, as well as New Forest Cider!
Burley
For the classic New Forest village, head over to Burley, where ponies, cattle donkeys and Pannage Pigs roam the quiet roads. The pretty main street, Ringwood Road, is peppered with charming shops, including Burley Fudge and many other stores selling great food and sweet treats.
Some stores showcase Burley’s other side – it’s links to the late celebrity White Witch, Sibyl Leek, who lived in the store now known as A Coven of Witches. Burley is also home to New Forest Cycling, who will hire you a bike and it’s also where you’ll find Burley Manor, serving delicious, Mediterranean-inspired dishes, cooked its own, wood-fired oven.
Fordingbridge
Up in the Forest’s north, this village packs a weighty cultural punch, with its own independent Regal cinema, showing classic and other movies, a wonderful and welcoming local museum plus a statue of the artist Augustus John, who lived in the area.
Fordingbridge is also home to a number of shops, cafes and stores as well as having a medieval bridge spanning the River Avon, which is well worth a walk over, to take in the tranquil and historic views.
Hythe
Lovers of big liners will enjoy sitting on the quay at Hythe and watching the majestic ships sail by. Or you can hop on board the pier train (the world’s oldest!) and take a trip from its end to Southampton itself, via the Hythe Ferry. Once home to Sir Christopher Cockerell, who invented the hovercraft, Hythe was also the place that T E Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia – called home. You can see his Blue Plaque on Myrtle Cottage in Shore Road. Along with a buzzy high street, with plenty of shops and cafes to visit, Hythe is home to a weekly market and numerous coastal walks.
Lyndhurst
Regarded as the ‘capital ’of the New Forest, Lyndhurst is home to the ancient Verderer’s Court (which can be viewed sitting once a month in its historic panelled hall at the King’s House). The town is packed with independent boutiques, galleries and places to eat and drink, as well as being a stone’s throw from some of the Forest’s loveliest walks (and views, if you trek up to nearby Bolton’s Bench.)
Other Lyndhurst places worth visiting are the New Forest Heritage Centre, to gen up on the Forest’s history, and customs, and St Michael and All Angels church at the top of the town near the Crown Manor House Hotel, where you can gaze upon the grave of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for original Alice in Wonderland. The Woods Cyclery will see you right for a good-quality hire bike, or you can download one of our walks and take a hike into the great green yonder. Lyndhurst is also blessed with fab hotels, from the hip Lime Wood, to Bartley Lodge and also cosy Forest Lodge.
Lymington
Described by some as a market town that happens to be beside the sea, Lymington is best-known for its fabulous Saturday market, where it’s not uncommon to find up to 90 stalls selling artisan and local produce, crafts and bric-a-brac.
The town started life as a port and rose from the Medieval era to the 19th century to become one of Britain’s biggest producers of salt. The former salt-pans have become the Keyhaven Marshes, home to some beautiful wild birds and a number of nature walks.
The town is also home to the St Barbe Museum, a cultural gem telling the history of the town along with displaying some stunning contemporary works of art and exhibitions. You can hire cycles from New Forest Bikes and, if you have time, take a road trip to nearby Sway, which has great eating places, including the Forest Deli.
Milford-on-Sea
Unique shops, fab little cafes and bakeries, restaurants and takeaways, cluster round the trad village green at Milford-on-Sea. There are colourful beach huts on the coast and endless views to the Isle of Wight’s dramatic Needles.
Enjoy a mindful moment watching the wild birds at the free bird-hide at Sturt Pond, before taking a wander along lonely Hurst Spit, where the Isle of Wight feels almost close enough to touch. You can journey back via the little foot ferry to Keyhaven.
Make sure you book at the highly-regarded Verveine Fishmarket restaurant, or try the yummy cakes at the Coastal Bakery. If you’ve ever fancied trying an electric bike you’re in luck, as you can hire from Jaunt-e Bikes, perfect for those staying at nearby Shorefield Country Park or South Lawn Hotel.
New Milton and Barton on Sea
New Milton dates back to 11th century but you’ll find some excellent cafes and places for coffee, and shops, including Bradbeers department store. There’s also a Wednesday market, and a train station – perfect if you intend to visit the 5* magnificence of the Chewton Glen Hotel. Also, Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is perfect for petrolheads and Barton-on-Sea, where many a fossil has been found on the shoreline, is a great place to enjoy magnificent views of the Isle of Wight.
Ringwood
This town’s historic Wednesday market has been going since 1226 but it’s only one part of this pretty town’s shopping potential. There’s a winding High Street crammed with independent shops and places to eat, plus a big Waitrose and up-market stores including Joules, The White Company and Waterstones at the Furlong Centre. Ringwood is also on the Castleman Trailway, great for a long run or bike ride, following the old train route to Upton Country Park near Poole.
- For more details on these New Forest towns and villages, plus walks you can take in and around them, click on here: