Summer

Long, lazy days. Warm nights. Bright mornings and endless evenings, what’s not to like about summer in the Forest?

 

It starts with the bluebells; cobalt blue on acid green, pouring their scent into the air from the forest’s floor. Spot them at Clayhill Heath near Lyndhurst and Broomy Inclosure north of Linwood in late April or early May.

Then come the leaves of delicate green, the flare of the yellow gorse on the heath, the purple of the heather. (And not forgetting the veritable riot of colour from the azaleas and rhododendrons of Exbury Gardens.)

 

The New Forest is the place to get outside and enjoy yourself all year, but never more than in summer.

 

Take a wander along our waymarked paths and spot the adorable, roaming new-born New Forest foals and baby donkeys. They are usually happy to be in pictures but mustn’t be approached or touched as the mothers are very protective of their young.

 

Take your little ones to paddle in one of our forest streams or play Pooh Sticks from one of the bridges – Puttles near Rhinefield is great for this.

 

Or take to the sea from one of our 43 miles of beaches for a true, open-water swim or, if that’s too cold, try a little yoga or mindfulness on the beach.

 

Summer is also a good time to go fording – driving your car through one of our many fords and watersplashes. (Kids love this!) But always check the depth and flow of the water before you enter, and never attempt it after heavy rainfall.

 

Use the summer months to indulge in some forest bathing, the Japanese art of appreciating the world around you. Research shows that even just being in a forest improves your mental and physical health.

 

Take a torch and map and try an evening or night-time walk. Apart from the beauty of the stars, you may spot a rare nightjar bird flying over the heath, its wide mouth open to catch the moths. You’ll almost certainly hear some of the owls that live in the forest and maybe spot some bats.

 

Summer in the forest is a time for long drinks on the terraces and in the gardens of our award-winning hotels and restaurants. Sip champagne in the gardens at The Montagu Arms Hotel, or Lime Wood, or try taking afternoon tea outdoors at Chewton Glen.

Or, if you're thinking about having a BBQ in the forest, please find some important information below:

To reduce the risk of damaging wildfires, campfires are not allowed without the landowner’s permission. Disposable BBQs are welcome at Bolderwood, Blackwater and Wilverley where stands and water are available. Raised non-disposable BBQs are allowed on the hard-standing areas of car parks, providing water is available. You can hire fixed stand party-sized BBQs from the Forestry Commission (call 0300 067 4601) and from Hampshire County Council at Lepe Country Park (hants.gov.uk/lepe or call 023 8089 9108 in advance).

 

Summer is also a time for fun and festivals; from Smoked & Uncut, The Pig Hotel’s laid-back summer celebration, to Lymington Sea Food Festival, back for its second year in August 2018 after a super-successful launch in 2017.

 

And it goes without saying that summer is also one of the best times to enjoy our world-class attractions, from Exbury Gardens and its wonderful railway (HM the Queen is a fan), to the cars at Beaulieu and the beauty of Palace House and its gardens, not forgetting, of course Paulton’s Park, with its roller-coasters, thrill-rides, Lost Kingdom for dinosaur fans and Peppa Pig.

The New Forest National Park is a wonderful place to visit and you can help it stay that way by being a Forest friendly visitor.
 

Your food and litter could harm the ponies and donkeys. Please take your litter home if bins are full.