The New Forest is located in Hampshire along the north-west shore of the Solent. It has two distinctions; it is Britain’s newest National Park (as of 2005), and is also Britain’s most boring National Park. The photo above shows the most interesting thing (indeed, only thing) that ever happens in the Forest; horses walk around here and there.
We went cycling in the Forest, but I couldn’t tell you specifically where though, it all looks the same. We did however happen upon Buckler’s Hard. The houses lined up in the photo below are widely spaced apart because two centuries ago, this was a thriving and essential shipyard. Warships were constructed right there in the street for the Nelsonian navy, to do battle with the French (and Portuguese, Americans, other random foreigners, etc). The location was ideal as timber could easily be sourced from the Forest, and the completed hulls easily launched into the Beaulieu River at the bottom of the slope and sailed down into the Solent on the ebb tide.
It’s too cold to go paddling.
I know what you’re saying about the New Forest. It is rather monotonous with acres of forest and heathland. However there are nice teas shops in Lynhurst, Brockenhurst and Burley and loads of rustic country pubs dotted around.
Spent some time this morning just browsing through your blog. Congrats on the trip by the way. Wonderful photographs. Great stuff.