New Forest
The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire.
Geography
Wildlife
History
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
/
Geography
Wildlife
History
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
/
The New Forest was first recorded as Nova Foresta in Domesday Book in 1086, it is the only forest that the book describes in detail.
Twelfth-century chroniclers alleged that William had created the forest by evicting the inhabitants of 36 parishes, reducing a flourishing district to a wasteland.
However, this account is thought dubious by most historians, as the poor soil in much of the area is believed to have been incapable of supporting large-scale agriculture, and significant areas appear to have always been uninhabited.
Twelfth-century chroniclers alleged that William had created the forest by evicting the inhabitants of 36 parishes, reducing a flourishing district to a wasteland.
However, this account is thought dubious by most historians, as the poor soil in much of the area is believed to have been incapable of supporting large-scale agriculture, and significant areas appear to have always been uninhabited.
As of 2005, roughly 90% of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown
Geography
History
Wildlife
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
/
The ecological value of the New Forest is enhanced by the relatively large areas of lowland habitats, lost elsewhere, which have survived.
The Forest is an important stronghold for a rich variety of fungi, and although these have been heavily gathered in the past, there are control measures now in place to manage this.
The wet heaths are important for rare plants, such as marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) and marsh clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) and other important species include the wild gladiolus.
The Forest is an important stronghold for a rich variety of fungi, and although these have been heavily gathered in the past, there are control measures now in place to manage this.
The wet heaths are important for rare plants, such as marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) and marsh clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) and other important species include the wild gladiolus.
As of 2005, roughly 90% of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown
Wildlife
History
Geography
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
/
The New Forest National Park area covers 566 km2 and the New Forest SSSI covers almost 300 km2, making it the largest contiguous area of unsown vegetation in lowland Britain.
The New Forest has also been classed as National Character Area No. 131 by Natural England. The NCA covers an area of 738 km2 and is bounded by the Dorset Heaths and Dorset Downs to the west, the West Wiltshire Downs to the north and the South Hampshire Lowlands and South Coast Plain to the east.
The New Forest has also been classed as National Character Area No. 131 by Natural England. The NCA covers an area of 738 km2 and is bounded by the Dorset Heaths and Dorset Downs to the west, the West Wiltshire Downs to the north and the South Hampshire Lowlands and South Coast Plain to the east.
As of 2005, roughly 90% of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown
