New Forest Exploration
Hey everyone!
I wanted to grab some more photos of my time in the New Forest as this was my first proper trip there and I thought it would be cool to show the way it looks to people who’ve maybe never stayed before.
We got to drive through the trails and I asked my team to take me to the deer stop because I thought I could magic up some bambis to get some footage despite the warnings that they are rarely there haha. So we drove from the hotel we were at to the location that we’d found and the trees and canvas of plants were just mesmerizing. There really is nothing like having a break away from urban life and breathing.
I have to confess I spent 95% of my childhood out to these wild outdoorsy like places and as an adult I spend most of my time in offices or in studios and I’m like totally not surprised why people get bored and depressed, cos you spend your life running around learning and experiencing and then you get stuck in this transit of complete mundanity. You have to get out there and do something different or you drive yourself up the wall.
I really wanna explore more types of outdoors experiences this year and I’m not entirely sure about where I haven’t visited, I’m trying to recall from my childhood where my grandparents took us but if you could recommend any that have beautiful views of nature please do send some comments over.
From what I understand the New Forest is totally about camping and no, I would not camp there but I would definitely go to a local spa and then venture out into the woods during the day to see the wild horses, which were out in abundance and all the cool views to be seen. I really want to keep adding to my travel series some wild flower diaries and maybe if you are feeling a bit bored of the day to day you can see something that cheers you up!
So guess what, Joe White popped over to the deer stop and out of the woods rushed an armada of baby deers to see us! So we got them on camera and it was a super cute end to our trip.
Let me know your favorite places to take a break in the comments below.
I wanted to continue with the plant diary series by continuing to link other websites I use as a reference point for finding out info, and to get you guys interested in searching up on things! So check out New Forest Living here.
NEW FOREST PONIES
The New Forest is synonymous with its native ponies, who can be seen freely roaming and grazing the land not just out in the open countryside, but even in towns and villages. They come in several different colours and sizes, as over the centuries they have been interbred with other breeds to increase variety.
Learn all about New Forest ponies with our in-depth guide.
DONKEYS
Donkeys can be seen in the New Forest year-round, as they have a hardy nature that makes them more tolerant of the winter weather conditions. Popular with visitors, they love to graze on hedgerows, and are therefore more likely to be seen in towns including Brockenhurst, Burley and Beaulieu, rather than out on the heathland.
PIGS
As well as ponies and donkeys, you can even see pigs roaming about the New Forest. They are let loose every autumn by the Commoners in an act known as Pannage, which dates back to the time of William the Conqueror, who founded the New Forest. Pannage involves the pigs eating the acorns and chestnuts that have fallen from the floor, preventing the ponies from eating them, as acorns and nuts are poisonous to them.
DEER
The New Forest is home to not one but five different species of deer, with only two of these being native to the UK. Fallow deer are the easiest to spot; the females flecked with white spots, and the males sporting impressive antlers. The native species are the roe deer and the red deer, which are much fewer in numbers and more elusive. Sika deer and muntjac deer can also be sighted if you’re lucky. Dawn and dusk are the best times of day to look out for deer.
CATTLE
Like the other mammals already mentioned, cattle also roam and graze the forest freely. Up to 3000 cattle can be seen in the New Forest in the summer, though this number reduces in the autumn and winter. There are more than a dozen different breeds that live here, from the Friesian cow to the winter-ready Highland cattle.
SNAKES
It’s not only mammals who call the New Forest home, as reptiles, and in particular snakes, can also be found here, thanks to the area’s climate being warmer than much of the rest of Britain. The adder, the UK’s only venomous snake, lives here – however, they will tend to disappear into the undergrowth at the slightest sign of a human approaching, meaning attacks are very rare. Grass snakes, which are more common, and smooth snakes have also been spotted here – neither of these are venomous.
LIZARDS
Difficult to spot, lizards can also be found in the New Forest, one of the few places in the UK they call home. Common lizards, which are a grey-brown or a dark brown colour, live in the grassland and open heath. Britain’s rarest reptile, the sand lizard, has also found a habitat here thanks to a successful breeding and release programme.
BIRDS
Having a mixture of woodland and heathland means that the New Forest has a very healthy bird population, and is sometimes one of the only places in the UK you can see certain bird species. The list of bird species you can spot is extensive, and includes: buzzards, crossbills, Dartford warblers, stonechats, woodpeckers, curlews, owls, hen harriers and sparrowhawks.
BADGERS
Badgers can be spotted in the woodlands if you are quiet and careful enough, as they are very shy creatures and easily startled. The best time to spot them is at either dawn or dusk, when they will emerge from their homes to search for food.
RABBITS
Rabbits are a common sight throughout the New Forest, and are spotted both on the grassy road embankments and grazing on the larger open areas of grassland. Though an outbreak of myxomatosis in the 1950s affected their numbers, the population has recovered well and remains healthy.
SQUIRRELS
Squirrels are another widespread species in the New Forest, and can be spotted darting across the woodlands and forests. Unfortunately, it is the grey squirrels which remain the most common sight. They remain a threat to other local wildlife, as not only do they carry diseases which have helped to kill off the red squirrel, but they also steal eggs from birds’ nests for their food.
HEATHLAND PLANTS
Birds Foot Trefoil
Bracken
Gorse
Heather
Lousewort
Orchid
Petty Whin
Sundew
Tormentil
Wild Gladiolus
WOODLAND PLANTS
Bastard Balm
Bluebell
Butchers Broom
Foxgloves
Lesser Celadine
Narrow Leaved Lungwort
Wild Daffodil
Wood Anemone
Wood Sorrel
Wood Spurge
BOG PLANTS
Bog Asphodel
Bog Myrtle
Bog Pimpernel
Bogbean
Coral Necklace
Marsh Pennyworth
Meadow Thistle
Sundews
PESTLE PUFFBALL
The brown spores of Puffballs mature inside the ball and are then liberated in various ways, often when the entire fruiting body disintegrates so the powdery spore mass can dispersed by the wind. When mature, they can even be squeezed by hand which will make the dry brown spores fly out into the air. Quite fun and satisfying to do!
White or light buff coloured, usually maturing to various shades of brown, Puffballs may range in size from 6cm to 70cm across and up to 20cm tall, with or without a short stem. They grow singularly or in groups, or just spread out over a large area, and they may even form fairy rings. They are most easily seen in the late summer to early autumn and are widespread and common on grassy places.
Two small round species of Puffballs even detach themselves from the ground to blow around in the wind, and thus distribute their spores, which they are only able to do on the short well grazed grassland of the New Forest. At the other end of the scale, another species can grow to a huge size and may reach a record weight of over 10kg.
As late as the 19th century, unripe Puffballs were often used as a surgical dressing for wound staunching by surgeons and even as an anaesthetic, and bee keepers used them to calm bees. A bee keeper would put a smouldering pile of puffballs underneath the hive to enable them to gain access without being stung. No doubt it was probably the high level of carbon dioxide that calmed the insects! It is even recently suspected that Puffballs were involved in making and transporting fire and also being used as a form of insulation and draught excluder.
Reference here.