New Forest
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2008-06-22T10:07:10Z
Closedmouth
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/79.74.146.55|79.74.146.55]] (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Infobox_protected_area | name = New Forest National Park
| iucn_category = V
| image = EnglandNewForest.png
| caption = Location of New Forest National Park within England
| locator_x =
| locator_y =
| location = [[Hampshire]], [[England]]
| nearest_city = [[Southampton]]
| lat_degrees = 50
| lat_minutes = 52
| lat_seconds = 00
| lat_direction = N
| long_degrees = 1
| long_minutes = 34
| long_seconds = 00
| long_direction = W
| area = 571 km² (141,097 acres)
| established = 1079
| visitation_num = 7.5 million
| visitation_year = 1992
| governing_body = [[New Forest National Park Authority]]
}}
{{otheruses}}
The '''New Forest''' is an area of southern [[England]] which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, [[heath (habitat)|heathland]] and old-growth [[forest]] in the heavily-populated [[South East England|south east of England]], and has [[National parks of England and Wales|National Park]] status. The contiguous New Forest habitat covers south west [[Hampshire]] and some of south [[Wiltshire]]. Additionally the [[New Forest (district)|New Forest local government district]] is a subdivision of Hampshire which covers most of the forest, and some nearby areas.
There are many small villages dotted around the area.<br />
The highest point in the New Forest is Piper's Wait, just west of [[Bramshaw]]. Its summit is at 125 m (410 ft) [[above mean sea level]].
==History of the New Forest==
Like much of England, the New Forest was originally woodland, but parts were cleared for cultivation from the [[Stone Age]] and into the [[Bronze Age]]. However, the poor quality of the soil in the new forest meant that the cleared areas turned into heathland "waste". There are around 250 [[round barrow]]s<ref>[http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol05/page297.html Hampshire Treasures]</ref> within its boundaries, and scattered [[boiling mound]]s, and it also includes about 150 [[scheduled ancient monument]]s.<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1318/ UNESCO World Heritage]</ref>
The New Forest was created as a [[royal forest]] around 1080<ref>[http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/le-history New Forest National Park History]</ref> by [[William I of England|William the Conqueror]] for the hunting of (mainly) [[deer]]. It was first recorded as "Nova Foresta" in the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086. The story that the inhabitants of thirty-six parishes were evicted is one of the many myths surrounding the forest's history. Two of William's sons died in the forest, [[Richard, Duke of Bernay|Prince Richard]] in [[1081]] and [[William II of England|William Rufus]] in 1100. The reputed spot of the Rufus' death is marked with a stone known as the [[William II of England#The Rufus Stone|Rufus Stone]].[[Image:Rufus Stone.jpg|thumb|right|The Rufus Stone Memorial]] As of 2005, roughly ninety per cent of the New Forest is still owned by [[the Crown]]. The Crown lands have been managed by the [[Forestry Commission]] since 1923. Around half of the Crown lands fall inside the new National Park.
Formal [[commons]] rights were confirmed by statute in 1698. Over time, the New Forest became a source of timber for the [[Royal Navy]], and plantations were deliberately created in the 18th century for this specific purpose. In the [[Great Storm of 1703]], about four thousand oak trees were lost in the New Forest.
The naval plantations encroached on the rights of the Commoners, but the Forest gained new protection under an [[Act of Parliament]] in 1877. The [[New Forest Act 1877]] confirmed the historic rights of the Commoners and prohibited the enclosure of more than 16,000 [[acre]]s (65 km²) at any time. It also reconstituted the Court of Verderers as representatives of the Commoners (rather than the Crown).
Felling of broadleaf trees, and replacement by [[conifer]]s, began during the [[First World War]] to meet the wartime demand for wood. Further encroachments were made in the [[Second World War]]. This process is today being reversed in places, with some plantations being returned to heathland or broadleaf woodland. [[Image:NewForestIbsleyww2.jpg|thumb|left|WW2 remains at Ibsley]]
Further New Forest Acts followed in 1949, 1964 and 1970. The New Forest became a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] in 1971, and was granted special status as the "New Forest Heritage Area" in 1985, with additional planning controls added in 1992. The New Forest was proposed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in June 1999,<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1318/ Entry on the UNESCO Tentative List].</ref> and it became a National Park in 2005.<ref>[http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/le-history History of the New Forest National Park].</ref>
[[Edward Rutherfurd]]'s work of [[historical fiction]], ''The Forest,'' is based in the New Forest in the time period from 1099 through 2000.
==Common rights==
[[Image:050103 2283 hants pony.jpg|thumb|220px|A miniature pony in the Forest.]]
Forest Laws were enacted to preserve the New Forest as a location for royal [[deer hunting]], and interference with the King's deer and its forage was punished. However the inhabitants of the area("Commoners") had pre-existing "rights of common": to turn horses and cattle (but only rarely sheep) out into the Forest to graze ("common pasture"), to gather wood ("[[estovers]]"), to cut peat for fuel ("[[turbary]]"), to dig clay ("[[marl]]"), and to turn out pigs between September and November to eat fallen acorns and beechnuts ("[[pannage]]" or "mast"). There were also licences granted to gather [[bracken]] after [[29 September]] as litter for animals ("fern"), Along with grazing, pannage is still an important part of the forest ecology. Pigs can eat [[acorn]]s without a problem, whereas to ponies and cattle large numbers of acorns can be poisonous. Pannage always lasts 60 days but the start date varies according to the weather — and when the acorns fall. The [[Verderer]]s decide when [[pannage]] will start each year. At other times the pigs must be taken in and kept on the owner's land with the exception that pregnant sows, known as "privileged sows", are always allowed out providing they are not a nuisance and return to the Commoner's holding at night (they must be "levant" and "couchant" there). This last is not a true Right, however, so much as an established practice. The principle of levancy and couchancy applied generally to the right of pasture as it was unstinted but commoners must have backup land, outside the Forest, to accommodate these depastured animals as during the Foot and Mouth epidemic.
[[Image:Cow eating straw new forest.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cattle eating winter feed, Longdown Inclosure.]]
Commons rights are attached to particular plots of land (or in the case of turbary, to particular heaths), and different land has different rights — and some of this land is some distance from the Forest itself. Rights to graze ponies and cattle are not for a certain number of animals, as is often the case on other commons. Instead a "marking fee" is paid for each animal each year by the owner. The marked animal's tail is trimmed by the local "agister" (Verderers' official), with each of the four or five Forest agisters using a different trimming pattern. Ponies are branded with the owner's brand-mark; cattle may be branded, or nowadays may have the brand-mark on an ear-tag.
The grazing done by the commoners' ponies and cattle is an essential part of the management of the Forest, helping to maintain the internationally important heathland, bog, grassland and wood-pasture habitats and their associated wildlife.
==Geography==
[[Image:Alder trees beaulieu river fawley ford.jpg|thumb|right|Alder trees by the [[Beaulieu river]] near [[Fawley, Hampshire|Fawley]] ford]]
The New Forest Heritage Area covers about 580 km² (143321 acres), and the New Forest [[Site of Special Scientific Interest|SSSI]] covers almost 300 km² (74131 acres), making it the largest contiguous area of un-sown vegetation in lowland Britain. It includes
roughly:
*146 km² (36077 acres) of [[broadleaf]] woodland
*118 km² (29158 acres) of heathland and grassland
*33 km² (8154 acres) of wet heathland
*84 km² (20756 acres) of tree plantations ("inclosures") established since the 18th century, including 80 km² (19768 acres) planted by the Forestry Commission since the 1920s.
It is drained to the south by two rivers, the [[Lymington River|Lymington]] and [[Beaulieu River|Beaulieu]].
===Wildlife===
[[Image:NewForestPicnic.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Picnic area in the New Forest]]
As well as providing a visually remarkable and historic landscape, the ecological value of the New Forest is particularly great because of the relatively large areas of lowland habitats, lost elsewhere, which have survived. The area contains several kinds of important lowland habitat including valley bogs, wet heaths, dry heaths and deciduous [[woodland]]. The area contains a profusion of rare wildlife, including the [[Cicadetta montana|New Forest cicada ''Cicadetta montana'']], the only [[cicada]] native to [[Great Britain]]. The wet heaths are important for rare plants, such as [[marsh gentian|marsh gentian ''Gentiana pneumonanthe'']] and marsh clubmoss ''[[Lycopodiella]] inundata''. Several species of [[sundew]] may be found in the Forest, and the area is also the habitat of many unusual [[insect]] [[species]], including the [[Coenagrion mercuriale|Southern damselfly ''Coenagrion mercuriale'']], and the [[mole cricket]] ''[[Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa]]'' (both rare in Britain).
Three species of snake inhabit the Forest. The [[Vipera berus|adder]] is the most common being found on open heath and grassland. The [[grass snake]] prefers the damper environment of the valley mires. The rare [[Coronella austriaca|smooth snake]] can be found on sandy hillsides with [[heather]] and [[gorse]].
A program to reintroduce the [[sand lizard]] started in 1989 and the [[great crested newt]] already breeds in many locations.
Numerous deer live in the Forest but are usually rather shy and tend to stay out of sight when people are around, but are surprisingly bold at night, even when a car drives past. [[Fallow deer]] are the most common followed by [[roe deer]] and [[red deer]]. There are also smaller populations of [[sika deer]] and [[muntjac]]. The semi-wild ponies mentioned earlier are possibly the New Forest's most famous common animals, however.
The New Forest is designated as a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI), [[EU]] [[Special Area of Conservation]] (SAC),<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0012557 UK SAC details]</ref> a [[Special Protection Area]] for birds (SPA)<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1400 UK SPA list]</ref> and a [[Ramsar Site]],<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1389 UK and dependencies Ramsar Site list]</ref> it also has its own [[Biodiversity Action Plan]] (BAP)
===Settlements===
[[Image:New Forest ponies in Lyndhurst.jpg|thumb|300px|Ponies walking the streets in [[Burley, Hampshire|Burley]].]]
Among the towns and villages lying in or adjacent to the Forest are [[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]] (which claims to be the 'capital' of the New Forest), [[Hythe, Hampshire|Hythe]], [[Totton]], [[Burley]], [[Brockenhurst]], [[Fordingbridge]], [[Ringwood]], [[Beaulieu, Hampshire|Beaulieu]], Bransgore [[Lymington]] and [[New Milton]]. It is bounded to the west by [[Bournemouth]] and to the east by the city of [[Southampton]]. The forest gives its name to the [[New Forest (district)|New Forest district]] of [[Hampshire]].
See also [[List of locations in the New Forest]].
==New Forest National Park==
Consultations on the possible designation of a [[National parks of England and Wales|National Park]] in the New Forest were commenced by the [[Countryside Agency]] in 1999. An order to create the park was made by the Agency on [[24 January]] [[2002]] and submitted to the [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Secretary of State]] for confirmation in February 2002. Following objections from seven local authorities and others, a [[Public Inquiry]] was held from [[8 October]] [[2002]] to [[10 April]] [[2003]], concluding with that the proposal should be endorsed with some detailed changes to the boundary of the area to be designated.
On [[28 June]] [[2004]], Rural Affairs Minister [[Alun Michael]] confirmed the government's intention to designate the area as a National Park, with further detailed boundary adjustments. The area was formally designated as such on [[1 March]] [[2005]]. A [[National Park Authority]] for the New Forest was established on [[1 April]] [[2005]] and assumed its full statutory powers on [[1 April]] [[2006]].<ref>[http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/landscap/newforest/pdf/update6.pdf Update 6] from [[DEFRA]]</ref> The [[Forestry Commission]] retain their powers to manage the Crown land within the Park, and the Verderers under the New Forest Acts also retain their responsibilities, and the Park Authority is expected to co-operate with these bodies, the local authorities, [[English Nature]] and other interested parties.
[[Image:HampshireNewForestNationalPark.png|frame|National Park area in green; pink area shows the county of [[Hampshire]].]]
The designated area of the National Park covers 571 km² (141097 acres) and includes many existing [[SSSI]]s. It has a population of approximately 38,000 (excluding most of the 170,256 people who live in the [[New Forest (district)|New Forest]] local government district). As well as most of the [[New Forest (district)|New Forest district]] of [[Hampshire]], it takes in the [[South Hampshire Coast]] [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]], a small corner of [[Test Valley]] district around the village of [[Canada, Hampshire|Canada]] and part of the [[Salisbury (district)|Salisbury]] district in [[Wiltshire]] south-east of [[Redlynch]].
However, the area covered by the park does not include all the areas which were initially proposed; excluding most of the valley of the [[River Avon, Hampshire|River Avon]] to the west of the forest and [[Dibden|Dibden Bay]] to the east. Two challenges were made to the designation order, by Meyrick Estate Management Ltd in relation to the inclusion of [[Hinton Admiral|Hinton Admiral Park]], and by [[RWE]] [[npower (UK)|NPower]] Plc to the inclusion of [[Fawley Power Station]]. The second challenge was settled out of court, with the power station being excluded.<ref>[http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/landscap/natparks/newforest/index.htm Landscape Protection - New Forest National Park] from [[DEFRA]]</ref> The [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] upheld the first challenge;<ref>[http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2005/2618.html Judgment] of the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] in ''Meyrick Estate Management Ltd v. [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]]'', [2005] EWHC 2618 (Admin), [[3 November]] [[2005]], from [[BAILII]].</ref> but an appeal against the decision was then heard by the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]] in Autumn 2006. The final ruling, published on [[15 February]],[[2007]], found in favour of the challenge by Meyrick Estate Management Ltd,<ref>[http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/faq_boundary_issues New Forest National Park - Frequently asked questions - Boundary Issues.]</ref> and the land at Hinton Admiral Park is therefore excluded from the New Forest National Park.
==Visitor Attractions and Places==
[[Image:New Forest Cycle path.jpg|thumb|300px|One of the many miles of cycle paths]]
*[[Bucklers Hard|Buckler's Hard]]
*[[Beaulieu, Hampshire|Beaulieu]]
*[[New Forest Show]]
The forest has many well kept cycle paths for the use of the large number of cyclists that visit the forest each year. Many outlets are set up to handle the high requirement for bicycle hire, with both [[Burley]] and [[Brockenhurst]] having facilities.{{clear}}
== Gallery ==
<gallery perrow="3">
Image:Ponies grazing at Latchmoor bottom New Forest.jpg|Ponies grazing by the Latchmoor Brook
Image:New_Forest_heath_and_horses.JPG|New Forest heath and ponies
Image:Beaulieu_river_at_longwater_lawn.jpg|The [[Beaulieu River]] at Longwater Lawn
Image:New_Forest_ponies.jpg|New Forest ponies,September 2007.
Image:Boltons Bench Lyndhurst.jpg|Bolton's Bench in Lyndhurst
Image:Hatchet Pond.JPG|Hatchet Pond near [[Beaulieu]]
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[English Lowlands beech forests]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.halcyonholidaycottages.co.uk/forest.htm '''The New Forest''' - Information on the history of the New Forest and what to do in the forest, visitors resources and places to stay in the New Forest ]
*[http://www.halcyonholidaycottages.co.uk Where to stay in the New Forest - Information on places to stay in the New Forest ]
*[http://www.thenewforest.co.uk The Official New Forest Visitors Website, Visitors Resources and Official Information on visiting and enjoying the forest ]
*[http://www.newforestgateway.org New Forest Gateway, Community Resource & Historical Image archive ]
*[http://www.newforestguides.com New Forest Guide and History]
*[http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/nfnpa/index.cfm New Forest National Park Authority ]
*[http://www.newforestimages.com New Forest Images] - Photography of the New Forest, its wildlife and New Forest Ponies
*[http://www.thenewforest.net New Forest Community Media] - A not-for-profit media site serving the National Park
*[http://www.nfed.co.uk New Forest Equine Directory] - Equine Resource for the New Forest & surronding area
*[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0012557 SAC designation including extensive technical description of habitats and species]
*[http://www.nfdc.gov.uk/index.cfm?Articleid=295&startpara=1 Commoning in the New Forest]
*[http://www.new-forest-national-park.com Visitor Guide & Forest image gallery]
*[http://www.projectfred.co.uk Guided walks and wildlife courses]
*Designation as a national park:
**[http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040628a.htm Minister says yes to New Forest National Park] ([[DEFRA]] press release, [[28 June]] [[2004]])
**[http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050224a.htm New Forest National Park becomes a reality] ([[DEFRA]] press release, [[24 February]] [[2004]])
**[http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/archive/presscentre/newforest05.asp The New Forest National Park] ([[Countryside Agency]] press release, [[1 March]], [[2005]])
**[http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/newforest/index.htm New Forest National Park Inquiry] from the [[Planning Inspectorate]]
**[http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/DL/new_designations/NewForest/NewForestNPboundary.asp Maps of the boundary]
*[http://www.chm.org.uk/detail.asp?m=812 UK Clearing House Mechanism for Biodiversity]
*[http://users.telenet.be/sequoiadendron/en/newforest.html Big trees in the New Forest]
{{National_parks_in_the_UK}}
{{SSSIs Hampshire biological}}
{{SSSIs Wilts biological}}
[[Category:1079 establishments]]
[[Category:Forests and woodlands of England]]
[[Category:National parks of England and Wales]]
[[Category:New Forest| ]]
[[Category:Public inquiries]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in England]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Hampshire]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Nature Conservation Review sites]]
[[Category:Woodland Sites of Special Scientific Interest]]
[[Category:Heathland Sites of Special Scientific Interest]]
[[Category:Special Areas of Conservation in England]]
[[de:New-Forest-Nationalpark]]
[[es:New Forest]]
[[fr:Parc national New Forest]]
[[ja:ニューフォレスト]]
[[nl:New Forest]]
[[no:New Forest]]
[[pl:Park Narodowy New Forest]]