New Forest help please

[Tobyh]

Hi all,

Am looking to go to the New Forest around june time. Wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for either somewhere to stay or a general area to visit. Am looking for as much wildlife variety as possible - a river would be an added bonus.

Thought I'd ask here before just looking on map.

Any other places of interest I should consider in that area greatly welcomed.

Thanks!

TobyH

[LoveT]

Hi Toby - the New Forest is your oyster!!

I'm not brilliant at these things, but there's always the Lymington area. You've got the Lymington River, Keyhaven Marshes and the coast nearby. You wouldn't be too far from Beaulieu either - the river etc.

It depends if you want to stay in one place or can travel - nowhere within the New Forest itself is too far to travel e.g to Bolderwood etc.

Try Googling 'New Forest National Park' and see what it gives you?

hope that will start you off - I'm sure there'll be even more posts from others far more knowledgeable than me!

Good luck and enjoy your visit - it's a great place to go!

Thea

[kml]

There are quite a few posts in the walking/camping forum about places to stay etc in the new forest.Whenever we go we see alot of wildlife,the Newforest Otter and owl center is well worth a visit.

[coasty]

There are lots of interesting places to visit,,,and anywhere around the Christchurch , Lymington area is good to base yourself.. There is lots of info on the net as to places within the forest to visit, I would also recomend Mudeford and Hengistbury head as good for a visit..

[Tobyh]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I've searched for New Forest topics and found a few areas of interest.

The Otter and owl sanctuary caught my eye as did a trip report from Fourwings and a few others around the Crockford Bridge area for dragonflies etc, I hope June isn't too early.

I'm looking to stay preferably in self catering cottage type accom. with walks pretty much out the gate. Driving / travelling isn't a problem but I love to be right in the sticks and can just go for a walk in the middle of nowhere

Will be taking the camera and trying for anything I can get but especially deer, dragonflies / butterflies, birds and then anything else I spot!

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Toby.


The Otter & Owl Sanctuary is good. Another visitor attraction is the Raptor & Reptile Centre near Ringwood.

Liberty's Raptor and Reptile Centre in Ringwood

The Forestry Commission also has a Reptile Centre just off the A35 towards Lyndhurst.

There are 4 species of deer (sometimes 5 with the occasional Muntjac) on the Forest & Fallow & Roe can be seen just about anywhere. An easy place to go for seeing Fallow Deer is Bolderwood. Another good place for deer is around Blackwater & Rinefield Ornamental Drive area. Here you could see Fallow Red & Roe. About half a mile from Blackwater car park is Queen's Meadow where 70 - 100 Fallow & a few Red can congregate in the evenings in summer. A population of about 150 Sika are around an area east of a village called Brockenhurst.

The Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies will be about in June as will Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries & all the other Dragonflies & Butterflies of early summer.

Bird wise, the woods will have the usual species as well as Redstarts, Wood Warblers, all three Woodpeckers, Spotted Flycatchers, Crossbill & Firecrests & on the heaths Dartford Warblers & Hobbies are usually seen. In the evenings you can easily see Nightjars, Woodcock etc.

The rare Wild Gladioli are out in June too.

Theres probably loads I've missed out but thats all I have time to think of now.

It would be a good idea to get the Ordanance Survey map Explorer OL22 if you don't already have it & I can give you more specific grid refs.

[tigger]

I used to live in Ringwood in the New Forest (I'm now in Dorset, not too far away).

I would base yourself around Ringwood... then you can visit:

- The Dorset Heaths (all 6 UK reptiles, butterflies, dragonflys & nightjar at places like Upton Heath)
- Studland (with the gorgeous Arne RSPB reserve overlooking Poole Harbour - waders, dartford warblers, stone chats, peregrine, hen harriers, hares and seka deer)
- The Jurassic Coastline (for your "sea" fix)
- Corfe Castle (for your history fix)
- the lovely little town of Wimborne Minster (with its old Minster - surprise! surprise!) for a bite to eat and drink
- Cranborne Chase (butterflies, hares, amazing views, etc)

As well as going to the New Forest in the afternoon!!!!

Hope this has given you some other places to think about - at least you will get away from all the crowds in the New Forest....

Jane

[Tobyh]

Excellent,

Thanks for your replies.

Deerstalker - I'll try grab that OS map this weekend as I'm pretty sure I don't have that one.

[Tobyh]

Bumping up for any more ideas please. I am there in just over a weeks time so really looking forward to it.

Deerstalker - have now got hold of OL22 and would really appreciate some grid refs

Thanks in advance.

TobyH

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Tobyh

Hi all,

Am looking to go to the New Forest around june time. Wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for either somewhere to stay or a general area to visit. Am looking for as much wildlife variety as possible - a river would be an added bonus.

Thought I'd ask here before just looking on map.

Any other places of interest I should consider in that area greatly welcomed.

Thanks!

TobyH

Brockenhurst - slap bang in the middle of the forest. Forest's, vast open moors and some marshy woodland - just dont get lost like i did

[Dutchess]

I was going to say Brockenhurst, as that's where we go every July! We exhibit at the Agricultural show so have free camping facilities. Last year was mud, mud and more mud.....the year before was scorching hot with ant swarms marauding the happy campers...

I love the NF whatever the weather and can also recommend the show as a real country affair - well worth a visit. This year it is the Tues 29th, Wed 30th and Thurs 31st of July. (Us exhibitors tend to make a week's break of it if we can )

Website: New Forest Show - New Forest and Hampshire County Show

hth

D.

[Deer Stalker]

Originally Posted by Tobyh

Bumping up for any more ideas please. I am there in just over a weeks time so really looking forward to it.

Deerstalker - have now got hold of OL22 and would really appreciate some grid refs

Thanks in advance.

TobyH

Hi Toby

Deer are everywhere on the Forest. In my previous post the grid refs for the deer hot spots mentioned are:

Bolderwood SU243087 for the Deer Sanctuary (a field where no-one is allowed in & the Fallow Deer are fed by the Forestry Commission Keeper around 2pm)

Blackwater SU268047 & Queen's Meadow SU285049 For Fallow, Roe & Red hinds (the big Red stags go off the Forest in the summer).

Frame Heath Inclosure SU3403 & surrounding Inclosures & Woods - Hawkhill Inclosure, Frame Wood, Tantany Wood for Sika deer, Fallow & the odd Roe.

Ive repeated some info for Dragons & Damsels from my post on Fourwing's thread last year:

Any of the Valley Mires on the heaths are good for Dragonflies.

Southern Damsels
Best & Most famous place for these is up-stream (towards Two Bridges Bottom) & down-stream (towards Peaked Hill) of Crockford Bridge SZ351990. The car park is at SZ349988. Also you should see Golden-ringed, Beautiful Demoiselles, Keeled Skimmers, Small Red & all the common species as you walk up/down the stream & into the Valley Mire. Also a chance for the Scarce Blue-tailed here.
They occur at a few other places but this is probably your best bet.

Scarce Blue-tailed Damsels
Best place for these is probably the Latchmore Brook which is boggy on the north side. The closest car park is Ogdens at SU181124 (not the easiest one to find). I have seen them here at SU184125. You also get the usual Golden-ringed, Keeled Skimmers, Small Reds, Beautiful Demoiselles, Chasers, Darters etc.
Other places for this species are Black Gutter SU2016, Mill Lawn & Rooks Bridge SU2303 & a few others.

Other ponds on the Forest maybe worth a look:

Hatchet Pond SU3601
Stonyford Pond SU4104
East End Gravel Pit SZ3697
Whitten Pond SU2001
Eyeworth Pond SU2214
Long Pond 1902

Might still be a bit early for adult Orthoptera but here's some grid refs anyway:

Bog Bush Crickets can be found on most heathland around the Valley Mires
Wood Crickets abound in the Inclosures & Ancient Pasture woods
Heath Grasshoppers are mostly west of a village called Burley around the Vales Moor, Broad Bottom, Castle Hill, & Church Moor area area. SU1904, SU1903 & SU1902.
Large Marsh Grasshoppers are in the bogs. Denny Bog SU3406 & SU3405, Wilverley Bog SZ2499 & SU2400 (in between Wooton Coppice Inclosure & the road to the north), Holmhill & Redhill Bogs SU2601 & SU2602.
Lesser Marsh Grasshopper: Balmer Lawn SU3003
Iv'e found Roesel's Bush-crickets in Wooton Coppice Inclosure SZ244998 & in Holmsley Inclosure SU222000.
Cepero's Groundhopper & Slender Groundhopper are supposed to be around Crockford Bridge (see Southern damsels).

I can PM you about the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries if you want.

All six native reptiles & five amphibians can be found on the Forest but the rare ones take some looking for.

The Forest also holds the biggest chunk of the Nightjar population, so any of the heaths will be good & the clear-fell areas in the Inclosures.

Any birds in particular you are after? or do you just want general locations?

[Tobyh]

Thats fantastic, thanks alot

Bird wise was just hoping to see something different, maybe something that the New Forest is known for but I'm not too worried, I'll have so much to do already

Really looking forward to my trip.

TobyH