Ashurst & Colbury Parish Council

History of the New Forest

Page last updated on Tuesday, 03-Feb-2009

New Forest PoniesPre-Norman - 1189

  • King William I (the Conqueror) requisitions a barren waste for his deer; the sparse local population are oppressed by Forest Law - a Norman practice to benefit the deer at the expense of the rights of the locals.

    They are granted some concessions to gather fuel and keep stock.

    His son William II (Rufus) introduces mutilation for flouting the Laws; he is eventually killed in the New Forest. The boundaries of the Forest are extended; the sovereign benefits from fines for infringements of the Law.

 

1189 - 1681

  • Excesses of the Officers of the Forest are controlled; the Rights of the locals are formalised; Formal practices are introduced to preserve underwood for fuel and other domestic uses; there are rising demands for timber by the Sovereign's Navy; The Forest is looted by Sovereigns - literally, and by the excessive use of fines; it declines by neglect.

 

1685 - 1875

  • The timber requirements of the Navy dominate the Forest; a rolling programme of plantation is introduced by the Crown which compromises the requirements of the Commoners; Reflecting the dominance of timber production, steps are taken to remove all deer from the Forest; The demands of the Navy then decline; the Commoners demand a curbing of the scale of the plantations (Inclosures).

 

1877 - 1963

  • The Rights of the Commoners are re-affirmed; the Verderers now have allegiance to the Commoners, not the Crown; The picturesque nature and ecological value of the New Forest is recognised; considerable damage is done to the Forest in support of the war effort; The Forestry Commission is formed; the respective duties of the Commission and the Verderers are clarified.

 

1964 - Present day

  • The motor vehicle takes its toll of Commoners' animals; some roads are fenced; the border of the Forest is bounded by fences and cattle grids; Some of the open private land bordering the Forest in which stock grazes is brought within the Verderers' responsibility; The formal end of Forest Law! Tourism threatens the Forest; positive steps are taken to preserve the environment and character of the New Forest.  The New Forest Area is developing as a National Park

 

Summary
The New Forest was created in 1079 by William I (known as William the Conqueror) as a hunting area, principally of deer. It is a unique area of historical, ecological and agricultural significance, and retains many of the rural practices conceded by the Crown in medieval times to local people. Principal of these is the pasturing of ponies, cattle, pigs and donkeys in the open Forest by local inhabitants known as Commoners. The New Forest has also been an important source of timber for the Crown. It is an outstanding recreational area for walking and riding.


In Norman times, the word 'forest' had dark overtones, signifying a land ruled without quarter by kings who jealously guarded their right to hunt unhindered by the petty concerns of local people. To these poor folk, the forest law was brutal. They could not protect their crops with fences or hedges. They could not take timber for their houses. They could not catch game for their pots. The penalty was mutilation or death. But it was grudgingly conceded that they had to live on something, and to this end they were allowed to graze livestock on the forest wastes. This right survives 900 years later as animals owned by local people still roam across the forest. Their grazing has created and maintained the landscape that is such a well-loved part of our national heritage. Without constant browsing, the forest would soon disappear under heavy scrub and the wide open spaces would be no more. The New Forest with its wonderfully rich collection of plants, birds and insects is now a national nature reserve.

What is the New Forest ?
The New Forest is located in the South of Hampshire and is one of the few places left in England where you can get away from it all! This unique area comprising of 93,000 acres of mixed woodland, open heaths and grassy lawns is all that remains of a primeval forest that once covered all of Southern England. Forest People still graze their ponies, cattle and donkeys, exercising the Right which goes back at least 900 years to the time of William the Conqueror. The New Forest is also a safe haven for a wide variety of flora and fauna including five species of deer and you are free to explore at your own leisure. The New Forest is close to the coast. It is an ideal base for those who wish to spend some time sailing or just lazing on the beach, as well as exploring the countryside and the forests many attractions.

Other Facts    Pollarded beech - Bratley
In winter, browse was cut for the deer. To prevent deer and ponies grazing the regrowth (future years supply of browse), the trees were pollarded - cut 6-10 feet from the ground. Keepers were permitted to retain the cut wood after deer had stripped it, but inevitably this concession was abused and there were accusations of excessive pollarding. In addition, the misshapen trees provided poor timber and the practice was made illegal in 1698. The oldest beeches in the New Forest date from the early 17th century. On Forest soils, a pollarded beech has a life span of about 350 years. Many of the old pollards are in the final stages of their life.

 

• Also see

 

• Related Internet Links

Ashurst & Colbury Parish Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites