The New Forest & Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

The New Forest, situated in the south of England, is a vast area of natural woodlands, forests, fields and plains, interspersed with villages and towns. It is common to see wild ponies and horses in the the New Forest, however the deer that live in these parts seem to be more shy about making human acquaintance. Historically, the New Forest was created as a 'royal forest' in 1079 by William the Conquerer, primarily for the hunting of deer.

We have been to the New Forest on three occassions, camping each time, and simply enjoying the peaceful, natural surroundings - a total contrast from the noise (and other) pollution of London from which we were escaping. The Forestry Commission has ten campsites across the New Forest, and we have stayed twice, with friends, at the Roundhill camping site. It is a good camping ground, however it can get very busy, especially during school holidays. It is therefore advisable to book your space in advance during peak times (this applies to all the camping sites in the region). One of the only other drawbacks about this particular camping site, aside from getting rather busy and crowded, is that is has no showers. It has sinks in the communal bathrooms where you can wash yourself to a certain degree, but I think the setup would be improved a lot if there were hot showers too! There are numerous ponies that wander around the camp, some even attempting to eat the food stored in your tents, so remember to keep them tightly zipped up when you're not about. If camping isn't your scene, then there are an abundance of B&Bs and hotels to choose from.

Brockenhurst is the closest village to Roundill and a place to buy essential items that you might need whilst camping. The village itself is small, but quaint, primarily made up of shops for the locals. Of historical attraction for some is the church, St Nicholas, which is allegedly the oldest church in the New Forest. For those who are interested in cars, the National Motor Museum is situated near to the camping ground, at Beaulieu. In the same area lie the remains of an Abbey founded by King John in 1204 and also Beaulieu Palace House, set in rolling gardens and lawns.

Another town nearby is Lymington, which is a port with regular ferries across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. We spent some time there on our second trip to the New Forest, which was a rather spontaneous idea with no prior planning. We impulsively drove to the New Forest on a bank holiday weekend, no accommodation organised, and were very lucky to eventually find a spot in a camping ground near to Lymington. The market town is also well-known as a sailing resort, and it was pleasant to walk along the quay area, admiring all the yachts. The cobbled streets of Lymington are host to a variety of shops, both high-street and uniquely local, as well as restaurants and pubs. We frequented a few of the pubs, and found them to be cosy and friendly, good places to unwind.

The next morning we decided to take a ferry to the Isle of Wight and spend the day there. We went as foot passengers, leaving the car behind, costing us approximately £10 each return. Sunny and bright, we boarded the ferry and enjoyed the half hour trip to Yarmouth, the port on the Isle of Wight. Yarmouth is a picturesque harbour and town and also popular for its yachting. Other notable attractions, aside from the beauty of the town itself, is Yarmouth Castle, built in 1547, and the pier - which is purportedly the longest timber pier in England. We strolled along the streets of the town, bought some fish and chips, and sat in the sun on the marina, enjoying the sights and sounds of a busy port.

There are numerous walks and cycle routes from Yarmouth to other attractions on the Isle of Wight, however for those not so energetic there are bus service for tourists, including a 'hop-on hop-off' tour. It is also possible to hire cars to drive around and take in the sights. Due to time constraints, however, we were unable to explore the rest of the land, but promised ourselves we would return, as there is so much to do and see - and it all looks so appealing. Next time we will probably take our car on the ferry so that we have transport to get where we want to go, or alternatively we'll hire bicycles and have a cycling holiday for a change. Towards late afternoon we made our way back to Lymington to fetch our car and head toward London, feeling refreshed and recharged after our short break.

The New Forest and Isle of Wight are certainly important places that should be thought about when planning an itinary for a holiday in the UK. The New Forest is perhaps sometimes overlooked for other tourist attractions, however if one has the time to visit the area, it really should be near, or at the top of, the 'places to go' list!