New Forest information (near Southampton)

[TenneSea]

I just discovered New Forest and unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about it.  How likely is it that you will see some of the horses roaming?  Is there a best place to see them there?  How do you get to New Forest from Southampton?  How long should you plan for a visit?

 

Would love some first hand experience stories from some of the "locals" and I wish I had heard about it a few months earlier for planning to make this stop part of our trip next month.  

[ziggyuk]

I live on the edge of the New Forest at Ringwood.
You will see horses all over the New Forest but somewhere like Burley would be best as you are guaranteed to see horses (they wander) and the village is beautiful and old.

My advice is get an inexpensive National Express coach to Ringwood, then take the (summer only) hop on hop off bus which will drive you all over the forest getting off where you want.

 

https://www.morebus.co.uk/about-NFT
https://www.newforest-life.com/New-Forest-sightseeing-bus.html

[John Bull]

Two sensible options .............

 

The New Forest Tour ho-ho buses, as per Ziggy's post & links.

But from Southampton, can I suggest rather than taking a Nat Express service coach (which stays on the boring main thru road) to join the red ho-ho bus twenty miles away at Ringwood

- from Southampton Town Quay take the little Hythe Ferry across Southampton Water to the village of Hythe.

 - at the ferry pier in Hythe, join the green New Forest ho-ho to Lyndhurst (which considers itself the capital of the New Forest.

- at Lyndhurst switch to the red ho-ho for a complete tour.

- back at Lyndhurst, switch back to the green ho-ho to do the other part of its route back to Hythe Pier and the little ferry back to Southampton Town Quay..

This will make the best use of your time and money.

 

It should also give you time to jump off the ho-ho to explore here or there - Lyndhurst or Burley or Ringwood or Fordingbridge or Brockenhurst or Lymington or Beaulieu. Lyndhurst for convenience (you change ho-hos twice there), Ringwood or Fordingbridge or the yachting town of Lymington for towns, but Burley or Brockenhurst or Beaulieu are where you will probably meet the ponies & donkeys close-up. There are pubs, tea-rooms & shops in all of them. Keep a copy of ho-ho & ferry timetables, a stop later in the day is probably best if you have to watch the clock. Google those places to see what you think.

 

You well certainly see plenty of New Forest ponies and donkeys (some donkeys are obnoxiously street-wise - they deliberately amble down the middle of the road to hold up the traffic 😄), probably wild pigs depending on the season, perhaps deer - but they're very shy & wary. .Don't approach or feed the wildlife - they need to be wary of people and roads.

 

https://hytheferry.co.uk/

https://www.newforest-life.com/New-Forest-sightseeing-bus.html

https://www.morebus.co.uk/about-NFT

https://www.bluestarbus.co.uk/services/WDBC/NFT

https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/NFR

------------------------------------------

If you're feeling a little braver, and this is part of a road tour (or you rent a car for the day in Southampton) I can suggest routes which take you down smaller and more-scenic roads which are inaccessible to ho-hos and  which take you deeper into the Forest.

 

JB 🙂

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Two sensible options .............

 

The New Forest Tour ho-ho buses, as per Ziggy's post & links.

But from Southampton, can I suggest rather than taking a Nat Express service coach (which stays on the boring main thru road) to join the red ho-ho bus twenty miles away at Ringwood

- from Southampton Town Quay take the little Hythe Ferry across Southampton Water to the village of Hythe.

 - at the ferry pier in Hythe, join the green New Forest ho-ho to Lyndhurst (which considers itself the capital of the New Forest.

- at Lyndhurst switch to the red ho-ho for a complete tour.

- back at Lyndhurst, switch back to the green ho-ho to do the other part of its route back to Hythe Pier and the little ferry back to Southampton Town Quay..

This will make the best use of your time and money.

 

It should also give you time to jump off the ho-ho to explore here or there - Lyndhurst or Burley or Ringwood or Fordingbridge or Brockenhurst or Lymington or Beaulieu. Lyndhurst for convenience (you change ho-hos twice there), Ringwood or Fordingbridge or the yachting town of Lymington for towns, but Burley or Brockenhurst or Beaulieu are where you will probably meet the ponies & donkeys close-up. There are pubs, tea-rooms & shops in all of them. Keep a copy of ho-ho & ferry timetables, a stop later in the day is probably best if you have to watch the clock. Google those places to see what you think.

 

You well certainly see plenty of New Forest ponies and donkeys (some donkeys are obnoxiously street-wise - they deliberately amble down the middle of the road to hold up the traffic 😄), probably wild pigs depending on the season, perhaps deer - but they're very shy & wary. .Don't approach or feed the wildlife - they need to be wary of people and roads.

 

https://hytheferry.co.uk/

https://www.newforest-life.com/New-Forest-sightseeing-bus.html

https://www.morebus.co.uk/about-NFT

https://www.bluestarbus.co.uk/services/WDBC/NFT

https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/NFR

------------------------------------------

If you're feeling a little braver, and this is part of a road tour (or you rent a car for the day in Southampton) I can suggest routes which take you down smaller and more-scenic roads which are inaccessible to ho-hos and  which take you deeper into the Forest.

 

JB 🙂

 

Good point about the ferry, that makes the trip so much nicer.

[TenneSea]

Great information.  Assuming we have a car, are the roads jam packed with vehicles making driving there difficult?  

 

Yes, JB, any info on off the path roads would be nice.

[John Bull]

9 hours ago, TenneSea said:

Great information.  Assuming we have a car, are the roads jam packed with vehicles making driving there difficult?  

 

Yes, JB, any info on off the path roads would be nice.

 

A couple of roads can be a pain, especially at the weekends.

Summer Saturday mornings the thru route M3 from London, M27 past Southampton and A31 toward Bournemouth gets clogged with folk heading to the coast - and the same route in reverse Sunday afternoons / early evenings.

This part in particular gets clogged https://goo.gl/maps/ofCyy6f7LpZh1MJy8

 

In the Forest, getting into Lyndhurst from the M27 at Cadnam, or from Lymington, or both from and sometimes toward Bournemouth, is notorious because of a bottleneck on the one-way town ring-road caused by traffic lights by the Imperial China restaurant in the High Street, which leads a log-jam round half of the ring road.😒

But this route A35 from Southampton to the A337 toward Lymington is a doddle - including getting into & out of the town carpark if you want to explore the town - and avoids all the grief.  https://goo.gl/maps/ZRkzenNSKh7P53eR6

I've made it sound complicated 🙄, but it's easy 🙂

 

But in the main, altho most Forest roads are slow (and there's a blanket 40mph limit in the Forest) because they're country lanes, they're roads where you wouldn't want to rush past.

 

Where will you be driving from & to (eg Southampton to Southampton?), what is your time-scale (eg lodging in Southampton or a one-day port-of-call?). What date/s ? And are you committed to using a large car?

With that info., and any other info. that you think relevant, I can suggest a few Forest routes. You will probably go wrong a time or two, but that's part of the fun of exploring the New Forest.

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by John Bull

[TenneSea]

We would be coming from Southampton probably to Burley, most likely on a Tuesday (Aug 22nd).  It would be an afternoon into evening. Small vehicle.

 

If I had known about this beautiful area when originally planning our journey, I certainly would have set aside a full day to explore it and would probably have stayed overnight.  

[ziggyuk]

If you have a car and are driving to Burley, a beautiful old village and and area you are sure to see horses and donkeys. Here are some ideas.
From Burley cricket pitch where there is free parking (most of the forest is free parking) there are some lovely forest walks with open countryside on the far side of the road or into the wood on the cricket pitch side.

 

A short drive past the cricket pitch there is a narrow lane on the right, about a mile down this lane there is the old railway line, also a lovely walk that takes you down to  Holmsley tea room in the old station (you could also drive here for afternoon tea).

You could take a walk in the nearby ornamental driveway. also close by the 500 year old Kingstwood oak tree and also the Bolderwood dear sanctuary.

I think that is ample for an afternoon close to Burley and you still have the market towns of Ringwood and Lyndhurst close you too.
I have provided you links in the above as a guide, you really need google maps to get you from place to place on the forest or you will struggle to find some of the places.

The 'pannage' season does not start until the end of September so you wont see the pigs but you will see plenty of donkeys cows and horses.

The horses and donkeys just roam where the want, but this is normal in Burley:

Edited July 13, 2023 by ziggyuk

[ziggyuk]

This is a useful map, you can see (11 Goatspen crossing) where you can walk the old railway and Holmsley station tea room.
Note the railway is now a grass cycle, walking and horse riding route.

 

[TenneSea]

ziggyuk - Sounds heavenly.  Thank you (and JB) for this information.  Sounds as if New Forest is one of UK's hidden gems and I hope to get a look when I'm there in August  (enough so I'll want to take a longer look when I return - next trip) !

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, TenneSea said:

ziggyuk - Sounds heavenly.  Thank you (and JB) for this information.  Sounds as if New Forest is one of UK's hidden gems and I hope to get a look when I'm there in August  (enough so I'll want to take a longer look when I return - next trip) !

 

It really is, so many people shoot straight off to see Stonehenge when you have such beauty so close. I am so lucky living here.
I will add that everything I suggested (except afternoon tea) is completely free, the forest if a real treasure.
If there is anything you especially like, cars, Brewery's, raptors, reptiles etc etc, let me know and I will suggest something, I kept my suggestions close to Burley as that was where you said you would probably go and will only an afternoon you have limited time.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by ziggyuk

[John Bull]

I know how you feel - we'd planned a brief foray into Canada between Boeing at Everett and Glacier Nat Park. Then we realised how much Canada had to offer and had a massive re-jig to include Jasper, the Icefields Parkway etc.

 

OK, here's a pretty good route to see much of the New Forest.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZPS7TGRPBGTteeKn7

 

The New Forest is a mix of woodland and heathland, and this route gives you that mix.

To avoid getting completely lost you'll need a GPS

.

From Southampton set your GPS to the New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst - or if that's not recognised, Gosport Lane  Lyndhurst.

Enter Lyndhurst and at the end of the road its a mandatory left turn into the one-way system. Immediately you enter the one-way take the right-hand lane, and in a few yards turn right into the carpark to explore the town. https://goo.gl/maps/VGWN9Ev4TZE3FUsF7

(Don't miss that carpark entrance, if you miss it don't do a circuit of the one-way system to get back to it - you'll end up in the potential log-jam, instead head for Lymington to join my route further on at Brockenhurst)

 Set your GPS to Beaulieu

The only carpark exits are onto the one-way main street, so turn right onto that main street, take the left lane & shortly go straight on, back the way you entered Lyndhurst, 

In 200 yards, opposite the fire station, turn right (signed Beaulieu B3056)

 

(If you don't want to take a walk around Lyndhurst that complication is pointless. 

So instead set your GPS to Beaulieu Road Lyndhurst and as you enter Lyndhurst turn left opposite the fire station onto that B3056 Beaulieu Road and set your GPS to Beaulieu.)

 

About 6 miles across heathland to Beaulieu.

You'll pass lonely Beaulieu Road station, and the pony pens opposite - where ponies are rounded-up for autumn sales (they roam wild, but they're owned by "New Forest commoners". https://goo.gl/maps/H8nWFmVewNj14Z6k9

Past the National Motor Museum, turn left by the pond  (signed Southampton, Hythe, Beaulieu), cross the river https://goo.gl/maps/FoUhMNdJ8NN9CeuK9 then find somewhere to turn round, set your GPS to Brockenhurst, return to the pond & turn left.

(In 1/4 mile, an optional left turn (signed Bucklers Hard) and 2 miles to the carpark at Bucklers Hard. Google it, see what you think. A pint or a coffee at the Master Builder's might be welcome by then. Then return same-way to re-join your route, about 6 miles to Brockenhurst on the B3055)

 

On your way to Brockenhurst set your GPS to Rhinefield Ornamental Drive or Rhinefield House Brockenhurst. There are several routes thro Brockenhurst, for simplicity follow GPS directions.

Heathland followed by woodland. Now set your GPS to Bolderwood (if it's not recognised, no worries). 

In about 4 miles cross the A35 (take care) onto Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive. https://goo.gl/maps/jRnaPDBuxUnBUZAS8 Narrow woodland road for about 2 1/2 miles. Parking at the top if you want to take a walk.

Set your GPS to Linwood.

Continue same direction, the route takes you under the main A35    https://goo.gl/maps/9Vo4bpB8BRPpJwcBA and about 5 miles to Linwood across mainly heathland. Don't turn off for Linwood, but you might want to take a break at the Red Shoot Inn

 https://goo.gl/maps/SYrxF5ov6jiMDZQd6

Set your GPS to Crowe Hill, Ringwood.

Shortly you'll pass (or stop at) my favourite New Forest pub, the Alice Lisle  

https://www.thealicelisle.co.uk/

If you want to check out Ringwood, set your GPS to Furlong Car Park Ringwood, or to Market Place Ringwood if you want to take your chances on parking. When you leave, set GPS to Crowe Hill Ringwood.

At Aivly Business Park, set your GPS to Burley, about 4 miles.

 

Total distance about 43 miles, total driving time something under 2 hours.

Gives you plenty of time for stops - and for getting lost a time or two 😄.

 

Ziggy knows Burley way better than I, but the Old Farmhouse tea-rooms    https://goo.gl/maps/vHcdEDzFpj7vvjiu7

was a customer of mine and I've supped a time or two at the Queen's Head

 

If after Burley you're heading back to Southampton you'll need to avoid that Lyndhurst bottleneck - set your GPS to Brockenhurst, then Beaulieu, then your Southampton address.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

[TenneSea]

Ziggy & JB -Sounds like a perfect afternoon trip !  Man, that Old Farmhouse Restaurant looks so interesting and the little village is beautiful.  Thank you for the detailed directions (I'll have to get a map and go over the route a few times) and all of the info you both have provided. I could spend a whole week there !  

 

We will have a GPS (from the rental co.) and hopefully, Google maps will pick up the area on my phone.

[Harters]

16 hours ago, TenneSea said:

are the roads jam packed with vehicles making driving there difficult?  

I stayed in Brockenhurst for a night last year. Traffic around the village was awful. Not "difficult" as such, just very slow moving. Thankfully, I was only a tourist and don't have to put up with it every day.

[ziggyuk]

58 minutes ago, Harters said:

I stayed in Brockenhurst for a night last year. Traffic around the village was awful. Not "difficult" as such, just very slow moving. Thankfully, I was only a tourist and don't have to put up with it every day.

 

Yes, Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst get very busy in summer, but especially during rush hour and when the A31 gets busy and people try to use the forest to avoid the traffic. Brockenhurst also gets busy due to being the only place with a train station on the forest.
Most of the forest is quiet away from the main towns and rush hour.

[TenneSea]

Interesting about the traffic, Harter.  Having lived in Florida for almost 40 years, we're pretty accustomed to traffic but not being used to driving on the wrong side, I mean left side, it could be a challenge.  I'm sure we'll be fine if we take our time.

 

The great thing about visiting New Forest, is that there are no reservations and no time table !  So many other places we're going, I had to get tickets in advance and we have to be there at a specific time.  This should make it a bit easier !

[Harters]

Yeah, just take your time. Settle into the car. On the flip side, I've rented cars at Atlanta airport and find the first 30 minutes are stressful. By the time I've reached Chattanooga, it feels like I've never driven anything else.

[TenneSea]

Oh yes, Atlanta. Traffic hell.!  My 2 adult children live in the Atlanta suburbs and we now live near Knoxville, TN.  You are a brave soul to tackle the Atlanta traffic !

[John Bull]

15 hours ago, TenneSea said:

Interesting about the traffic, Harter.  Having lived in Florida for almost 40 years, we're pretty accustomed to traffic but not being used to driving on the wrong side, I mean left side, it could be a challenge.  I'm sure we'll be fine if we take our time.

 

The great thing about visiting New Forest, is that there are no reservations and no time table !  So many other places we're going, I had to get tickets in advance and we have to be there at a specific time.  This should make it a bit easier !

 

 No, no. no - driving on the right is the wrong side.🙄

Please think it thru - unless you're a left-handed knight, at a jousting tournament you'll have great difficulty hitting the opposing knight with your lance in your right hand if you were on his right.🙄

(That's genuinely one reason why we've always driven on the left. And in castles, circular steps almost-always go up clockwise - in a sword-fight it gives advantage to the defenders)

 

On a more-helpful note

- you'll be driving a right-hand-drive rental car, and that changes your mind-set.🙂

- on most roads you'll automatically blend in with other traffic, on quiet Forest roads the traffic is slow so the worst thing will be embarrassment as you sheepishly cross to the correct side.

The times to take extra care are 

- setting-off first thing. So overnight leave a note on your steering wheel "Drive on the left, Dummy" or similar.

- use that note if you park or use a gas station on the opposite side of the road. In fact, try to always stop on the left side.

- take care when turning onto another road at junctions, both town & country, especially if there's no other traffic to guide you. If you see your intended turn late, don't make a late turn - instead miss that turn and find somewhere to turn round.

- even if you're used to stick-shift, and even tho automatics cost a little more, consider renting an automatic. It's one less thing to think about, and avoids trying to use the arm-rest to change gear 😄.

 

Be aware of other rules-of-the-road that are different.

There's no turn-out on red - red means stop. But many junctions have a green filter.

On multi-lane highways always keep to the left lane except when overtaking. And don't overtake on the nearside - that's under-taking and it's illegal.

 - there are no "Four-Way Stops". Someone has priority, normally indicated to those who don't have priority by a Stop or Give Way sign and a dotted line across the junction.

- where roads are narrow (sometimes intentionally as a traffic-calming measure) any priority is indicated by a sign with a red (give way) or black (you have priority) arrow

- I don't understand why some North Americans always seem to struggle with roundabouts (traffic islands).  Unless otherwise indicated, when joining a roundabout you give way to those who are already on the roundabout (approaching from your right), then you have priority while on the roundabout. Busy roundabouts have traffic lights, which of course trump other roundabout norms. On multi-lane roundabouts exercise care and lane discipline, which lane for which exit is usually painted on the road.

 

It's not as daunting as it sounds -  you'll take your cues from other traffic, and after your first day, you'll get used to it.

I've driven the US and continental Europe (often in my own RHD car) many times - I take great care on my first day, and have had no great problem

 

Stick to speed limits, the UK has a lot off fixed speed cameras and quite a lot of un-marked police cars. The tolerance over the speed limit is about 10% plus 2mph, which is why for instance a lot of cars will be driven at around 55mph in a 50 limit. If locals slow down for no obvious reason it'll be because they know there's a speed camera.

Since you're in a rented car, notification of an offence will be sent to the rental agency who will often just pay it without query and put that - plus an admin charge - on your credit card. 

Live police officers are more tolerant than cameras, and a US licence offered by a penitent American will probably dissuade them from getting involved in the paperwork for a minor transgression (that worked for this Brit when he was significantly over the speed limit in the US of A 🙂)

 

Fuel is ridiculously expensive at motorway service areas - I've only ever topped-up there with a gallon or two when desperately low. Big supermarkets are usually cheapest, but most roadside filling stations are reasonably priced. There are very few filling stations in the Forest, and they too tend to be expensive.

 

The traffic snarl-up experienced in Brockenhurst by Harters was probably down to the railway level crossing - its right by the station so the gates stay down for much longer than usual.

If when you're approaching Brockenhurst you ignore any GPS instruction to turn left and instead you stay on the same road to the end, GPS instructions to Rhinefield will miss any snarl-up but will also probably miss the village centre and the water-splash. That's the route I show on on my map-route

 

JB 🙂

  

[TenneSea]

JB, I very much appreciate all of the driving information.  I'm printing it out and studying it while on our cruise prior to renting the car.

 

My husband lived in Manchester, UK for while (18 months, I think) when working on a healthcare project some years ago.  While he has that driving experience, it has been a few decades since that episode.  I have a reasonable amount of confidence in his ability (he has more confidence in his ability than I do), but I will be riding shotgun -probably with my eyes closed most of the time !  Yes, we have reserved an automatic vehicle.

 

Sounds like you have some great travel stories of your own !  Ever considered writing a book about them?  

[Harters]

1 hour ago, TenneSea said:

My husband lived in Manchester,

Oh, if he can handle Manchester traffic, he can handle the New Forest with one eye closed. The city is at the centre of my metro region. 

[Jebster]

Thanks so much for this info gang — more specifically wanted to ask about a Sunday visit to new forest from cruise port in Southampton..

looks as if the first ferry isn’t until 10:30 and would have to catch the 14:30 ish ferry back to make a 16.00 all aboard …

would it better to perhaps take a taxi or Uber to new forest to start the day and then ferry back ? Also wanted to have a nice roast or lunch there if time allowed 

should be able to be off the ship In Southampton by 8:30 

 

TYIA

[Jebster]

Thanks so much for this info gang — more specifically wanted to ask about a Sunday visit to new forest from cruise port in Southampton..

looks as if the first ferry isn’t until 10:30 and would have to catch the 14:30 ish ferry back to make a 16.00 all aboard …

would it better to perhaps take a taxi or Uber to new forest to start the day and then ferry back ? Also wanted to have a nice roast or lunch there if time allowed 

should be able to be off the ship In Southampton by 8:30 

 

TYIA

[John Bull]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:39 PM, Jebster said:

Thanks so much for this info gang — more specifically wanted to ask about a Sunday visit to new forest from cruise port in Southampton..

looks as if the first ferry isn’t until 10:30 and would have to catch the 14:30 ish ferry back to make a 16.00 all aboard …

would it better to perhaps take a taxi or Uber to new forest to start the day and then ferry back ? Also wanted to have a nice roast or lunch there if time allowed 

should be able to be off the ship In Southampton by 8:30 

 

TYIA

 

 On a sunday you can normally start much earlier by train -  but for several up-coming sundays there'll be no trains on the section between Southampton and Brockenhurst because of planned upgrading of the rail track (maintenance & upgrades are done on sundays whenever possible).

Even on those days an early start is still possible by using the rail company's chartered rail-replacement buses, but I need to know your date.

 

It's also possible to return to Southampton later by bus or (possibly) by train. 

 

Travel within the New Forest will best be by open-top hop-on tour buses  

https://www.newforest-life.com/New-Forest-sightseeing-bus.html

but please advise whether instead of the ho-ho buses

- you'd consider renting a car for the day

- or renting cycles in the New Forest (both all-terrain and e-bikes are available)

- or consider concentrating on one site 

- most important, post back with your date

 

JB 🙂

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

On 7/14/2023 at 2:28 PM, John Bull said:

Stick to speed limits, the UK has a lot off fixed speed cameras and quite a lot of un-marked police cars. The tolerance over the speed limit is about 10% plus 2mph, which is why for instance a lot of cars will be driven at around 55mph in a 50 limit. If locals slow down for no obvious reason it'll be because they know there's a speed camera. 

The "tolerance" John speak of is not official. It is generally accepted that you will probably get away with exceeding the speed limit by that amount but it is also quite possible that you won't. By far the best approach is not to speed at all if you want to be sure of not getting a ticket.

 

Also, be aware that there are now an increasing number of average speed cameras. They will record your speed over a distance rather than a snap shot so you have to keep your speed down to make sure your average speed is within the limit. They are usually recognised by being on a tall, yellow poles like this. There is one at the start of the timing zone and one at the end.

 

David Hawgood / Average speed cameras at roadworks / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Snaxmuppet