The New Forest - Forestry England

Did you know that Alice Holt Forest is home to Forestry England’s Seed Extractory, the only publicly owned facility of its kind in the UK?

Every year it produces millions and millions of tree seeds ready to grow the UK’s forests and woodlands of the future.

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house… 

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…

But the trees could not rest or lie…

Fungi in the New Forest 🍄

Please look, but don't pick fungi. 

Autumn is also a peak time for fungi. The New Forest is one of the most important sites for fungi in Britain and more than 2,700 different species can be found here. Each autumn they offer up weird and wonderful displays of colour, patterns and shapes and are extremely photogenic.

Often thought of as plants, fungi are viewed by many as closer to animals given their unique way of growing and absorbing food and water from their surroundings rather than making their own using energy from sunlight.

Fungi play a vital role in the health of the forest. Many fungi live on the roots of trees and other plants helping these to absorb more nutrients. In fact, many trees grow less well without fungi. As well as being essential rotters and recyclers, fungi also provide food for some animals and are vital to many invertebrates to enable them to complete their life cycles.

Given this importance of fungi to the rest of the forest we ask that if you are out and about, please to enjoy looking at them but leave them in the ground for others to enjoy. A number of the fungi in the forest are poisonous and some are so rare and vulnerable they’re included in the protected species list making it illegal to pick them – even for scientific reasons.

Ancient discovery begins to rewrite the New Forest’s history

An archaeological dig in the New Forest has unearthed new evidence that may play a role in finding out more about when people first settled here.

Analysis of charcoal found in what was believed to be an Iron Age hillfort at Matley Heath, has dated the monument much further back to the Earlier Neolithic period.

With a 95% probability of dating between 3347 and 3097 BC the evidence, together with previous isolated finds in the New Forest, raises new questions around the history of human settlement and land-use in the New Forest and Hampshire.

The discovery was made during a programme of conservation and investigative works at the monument undertaken by a team from Forestry England, the New Forest National Park Authority, archaeologists from Bournemouth University’s Archaeological Research Consultancy (BUARC), and local volunteers.

Through a process of geophysical surveys and an archaeological excavation the team were able to locate the charcoal deposits in buried soil deposits at the base of the large ditch of the monument. These were removed and underwent specialist radiocarbon dating analysis to  provide an objective age estimate for the charcoal.  

Andrew Norris, Planning Officer with Forestry England, said: ‘This site has always been a bit of a mystery, referred to as an ancient hill fort but on very low ground making it a curious location for this kind of feature. There is still much to find out about it but this investigation has given us a big piece of the puzzle. By dating the settlement much further back than we thought it potentially resets the archaeological clock for when people first began settling here in the New Forest. ‘Alongside the dig we have conducted some important conservation activities at the site to protect it from further erosion and damage. Preserving the cultural heritage of the New Forest is an important part of Forestry England’s work and we would like to thank all of the partner organisations and volunteers who supported this project.’

Lawrence Shaw, Archaeological Officer for the National Park Authority said: ‘This fascinating discovery has raised more questions than answers about this amazing site and certainly increases the significance of the monument both locally and nationally.

‘What is particularly great about this discovery is that it is a result of extensive partnership working by several different organisations. The monument itself has been on the At Risk Register for a number of years and this work has been one of many steps towards bringing the site back into favourable condition, so that it survives for many more thousands of years.’

There are several other archaeological features close to the monument suggesting there was a large prehistoric complex at this location. A clearly marked drove way runs alongside the monument and leads into its main entrance, suggesting this was a structure made to bring people to and directly in front of this important area. There are also several burial mounds in the area signifying that this may have been an area of special significance.

Jon Milward, Senior Archaeological Consultant from Bournemouth University’s Archaeological Research Consultancy (BUARC) who led the fieldwork, said: ‘It has been a pleasure to have been involved in this project, which has been a great success. Taking the opportunity to undertake a controlled archaeological excavation alongside the repair and conservation works has provided a wealth of information that can be used to inform long term conservation and management plans and any future research projects.

‘We now know a lot more about the characteristics of the earthworks around the feature and the nature of the buried archaeological remains, as well as having new dating evidence that defied expectations and proposes the monument is at least 2,500 years older than previously thought’.

The project at Matley Heath is part of Forestry England’s ongoing programme of monitoring and preserving 158 different ancient monuments in the New Forest.

Watch out for animals on the road

The animals are hot too and try to catch draft from passing vehicles on the road.

If you’re out on the road please be mindful that they could be round the next corner in the shade & might be difficult to spot 🐎

Dogs die in hot cars

The forest has lots of shade to keep your furry friends comfortable.

‘Just a minute’ is too long. When it’s 21°c outside, your car can heat up to 40°c in only a few minutes, even with the windows open.

Dogs have a higher body temperature than humans and can only sweat through their paws, so they can easily overheat.

High Fire Risk 🔥

Cigarettes and BBQs can cause wild fire. 🔥🔥🔥

Help protect the forest and its wildlife during this dry weather. ☀️🌳🐎

Please

Do not light any fires

Make sure cigarettes are put out and disposed of properly

Follow the New Forest BBQ code

BBQs not considered safe will be extinguished.

If you discover a forest fire, call 999 immediately.

Escape the heat

If you’re planning a shady woodland walk to escape the heat this week, please don’t forget to:

bring plenty of water

use sunscreen

avoid leaving children or pets in cars. 

Most of all, please have fun!☀️🌳

Dogs die in hot cars

When visiting the forest with your furry friends, please don't leave them in your car during hot weather. Even 'just a minute' is too long.

Thriving woodlands by New Forest Recreation Ranger

Just like our gardens need care and maintenance in order to thrive, so too do our woodlands.

It’s easy to think that nature is best left untouched but in fact the opposite is true. Historically wood provided our building material and fuel which resulted in woodlands being intensively managed. The diversity of habitats created by felling and replanting trees allowed many of our native plants and animals to thrive.

Our role at Forestry England is to find ways to enhance special places so that people can enjoy them and wildlife can flourish. Many people don’t realise that the New Forest is still a working woodland. There is often a perception that tree felling is bad, but it’s a key part of good woodland management. Harvesting trees provides the wood that we all use in our daily lives and thins forests to promote new growth.

When it comes to managing our woodlands it’s a long-term process, and there’s a dedicated team of foresters working across our region. Our forests are a vital and growing part of our local economy too. In the New Forest, at Longdown and Church Place Inclosure, near Ashurst, our contractors are currently harvesting trees for a variety of uses – from creating furniture to fill your home, to supplying woodfuel to heat it. Providing home-grown timber is good news for people, for business and for the environment – and as a not-for-profit organisation, every penny generated through harvesting trees is reinvested to help protect and improve the woodland for people, wildlife and future timber production.

Visitor safety is a priority for us and whilst the harvesting is happening over the next few weeks, we urge people to look out for warning signs that are in place in areas where work is being undertaken, and keep a close watch on their group – including dogs – and pay attention to signs to ensure their safety and that of others.

Cows may look friendly but are very protective of their calves. Please stay away from livestock and if you have a dog, keep it under control.

Although owned by local people called Commoners, these animals are free to roam throughout the open areas of the forest.

There is plenty of natural food and it’s important they don’t come to rely on handouts from people.

Donkeys may look friendly but can bite or kick.

Although owned by local people called Commoners, these animals are free to roam throughout the open areas of the forest.

There is plenty of natural food and it’s important they don’t come to rely on handouts from people.

Ponies may look friendly but can bite or kick, especially mares with foals.

Although owned by local people called Commoners, these animals are free to roam throughout the open areas of the forest.

There is plenty of natural food and it’s important they don’t come to rely on handouts from people.