Exploring the New Forest in the Autumn for a family holiday

New Forest Ponies

Probably the most famous attraction in the New Forest are the ponies, they walk freely across the open forest. All of the ponies are owned by private people (referred to as ‘commoners’) and allowed to roam. Around autumn time they are rounded up, counted, marked and checked over for any health problems before the winter sets in. The ponies can also be very friendly but visitors are encouraged not to feed or pet them.

Pigs & piglets in Pannage Season

Every autumn about 600 pigs are set free across the New Forest, their job is an important one, to eat the acorns (especially green ones which are poisonous to horses and ponies) and other fallen seeds and nuts such as chestnuts. The pigs are also privately owned. This year Pannage season is due to run until 11thNovember. So don’t be surprised if you see a few pigs as well as horses rummaging around on your family break in the New Forest!
Speed limit
Roads in the New Forest have a speed limit of 40mph, please respect this for the safety of the animals, sadly far too many animals lose their lives here to people driving too fast.

Family-friendly walks in the New Forest

As the nights get a little chillier the colours in the forests and over the heaths produce a spectacular display of colour. There are lots of walks for all abilities, from pushchair friendly walks through to hikes on uneven terrain. If you have little ones don yourselves with a treasure hunt sheet of what to find on the forest floor. Look out for colourful fungi, but don’t eat it, and various interesting vegetation. There are lots of guided walks and tailor made child-friendly walks around the New Forest. Here are a couple of ideas but with such a vast area you might want to explore a little deeper. 

Woodside Park in Lymington – This lovely community park is home to beautiful trees and gardens: kids will love exploring and searching for the fairy doors in the trees. There are also tennis courts, a running track, skate park and football pitches too. The paths are wheelchair, pushchair and scooter friendly too.

Knightwood Oak - Visit the oldest and largest Oak Tree in the forest, the walk here is just under 2 miles and fairly flat with smooth gravel. 
http://routes.newforestnpa.gov.uk/pdf/?route=132

Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary and Bolderwood Walks

The New Forest is not just about ponies and pigs, there are lots of fallow deer too. There is no better place to view them than from the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary where you will find a viewing platform overlooking a large meadow where the deer regularly gather. This is a natural area and so spotting them isnt guaranteed and you might end up spying one on a walk elsewhere but it’s a good place to sart. The deer are regularly fed up to the end of September and the best time to catch them would be in the early afternoon. Bolderwood is a lovely place to park the car and take one of the graded walks. Each walk starts and ends at a picnic area and are relatively level.
http://www.new-forest-national-park.com/bolderwood-deer-sanctuary.html

For more ideas of family-friendly walks in the New Forest visit the New Forest National Park website
http://www.new-forest-national-park.com/new-forest-walks.html

Family cycle routes in The New Forest

The New Forest is made for walking or cycling and there are plenty of cycle routes, in fact over 100 miles of them! Cycling is possibly the best way to explore the New Forest. If you don’t have family bikes to take yourselves you can hire them within the Forest.

This great map from the Forestry Commission shows where all the cycle routes are.
https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/new-forest-cycle-code.pdf/$FILE/new-forest-cycle-code.pdf

Ideas of bike hire shops who offer tag along kids trailers and children’s bikes too
http://www.forestleisurecycling.co.uk/
http://www.countrylanes.co.uk/
http://www.aabikehirenewforest.co.uk/

Furzey Gardens

The children and adults alike will love Furzey Gardens, home to some beautiful plants and trees and to Fairies. There are reportedly over 40 doors hidden around the gardens, you need to look hard to discover as they are no more than a foot high! If the littlies want to leave a message for the Fairies there is a Fairy Post Box too! There is a play area home to ‘Mrs Tiggy Winkle’ the dry land boat and other play structures. There are also plenty of picnic areas. There are always family-friendly events going on at Furzey Gardens and this autumn is no different. On the 4thOctober is the last Furzey Toddle of the year, a fun event for pre-school children from 11am. On 8thNovember there is also a guided autumn walk, for those interested in learning more about the stunning plants here. For more details visit their website
https://www.minsteadtrust.org.uk/Pages/Category/Furzey-Gardens

Longdown Farm Activity Farm

For close encounters of the animal kind, Long Down Activity Farm should go down a treat where the little kids can pet a whole array of different animals, help feed them and ride on tractors. There are also special Halloween events scheduled this year.
longdownfarm.co.uk