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Pony near Hampton Ridge
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***** For information about New Forest access restrictions and related matters, check out the Forestry England website. *****

New Forest Pubs

Welcome to this guide to more than 30 Pubs in the New Forest.

New Forest pub guide

New Forest pubs invariably offer warm, friendly hospitality; comfortable surroundings; fast, friendly service; a wide choice of drinks and delicious food to satisfy even the keenest appetite. Indeed, a good New Forest pub can’t be beaten for a great night out, a quiet drink or a pleasant meal.

And there’s a great selection of pubs available. Choose from village centre pubs or walk, cycle or drive into the midst of the Forest and enjoy some of the more outlying establishments.

Or why not stray a little further and take in some of the pubs just beyond the ’old’ New Forest boundary, for example along the nearby coast at Lymington, Pennington or Keyhaven; or in the numerous delightful villages set amidst rolling Hampshire countryside at places such as Damerham, Rockbourne and Whitsbury; or along the valley of the mighty River Avon at Fordingbridge, Breamore or Sopley.

Most of the local pubs serve food. Some start as early as 7.00 am with full English breakfasts that cater best for campers tired of early morning cooking. Lunchtime and evening menus are varied, whilst cream teas have developed into something of a local speciality. Quality and service are often impressively high, and customers usually leave well-satisfied with their culinary experience.

Many pubs also cater well for children, offering gardens, play areas, special menus and smaller portion main meals. Some also offer accommodation for those who enjoy staying in a pub environment, or maybe do not want too far to walk after an evening of eating and drinking. Some of the pubs also make particularly good bases from which to explore the surrounding Forest, and make great refreshment stops during walks or cycle rides.

As well as the expected wines, spirits, lagers and keg beers, many of these pubs offer at least one real ale, and often a regular changing, varied selection, including top quality guest beers.

Find out more about some great New Forest pubs

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** New Forest ponies and other animals**
The New Forest
Commoners' ponies, cattle, pigs, sheep and donkeys are a popular part of the New Forest scene, but during 2019 agisters attended 159 road traffic accidents involving these animals, a small but disappointing increase on the 154 accidents attended in 2018.

Sadly, 58 animals were killed - 35 ponies, 13 cows, 8 donkeys and 2 sheep, whilst a further 32 were injured - 3 pigs, 9 donkeys, 11 cows and 9 ponies.

(Forty-three accidents occurred in daylight, 15 at twilight and 101 in the dark. Twenty-seven accidents were not reported by the driver involved).

Here's just one horrific example - Three donkeys killed in collision with van at notorious New Forest blackspot (Advertiser and Times)
** Always take care when driving **
New Forest seasonal highlights
March
Lesser celandine blooms illuminate woodlands, and heathland edges.
Fallow deer remain in single sex herds, the bucks at this time always separate from the does.
Curlews return from the coast to breed in and around the New Forest's wetter areas.
Red admiral butterflies are increasingly seen on bright, sunny days.

April
Redstarts are amongst the first returning long-distance migrant birds that arrive in April.
Large red damselflies take to the wing, the first of many such species that will soon be seen in the New Forest.
Bluebells blossom, sometimes in good numbers in ungrazed woodlands.
Badger cubs usually first appear above ground towards the end of the month.
Content produced by Andrew Walmsley
Content produced by Andrew Walmsley