What's on in the area

New Forest

Daily

Cost: Free to enter; activities various

Hours: Accessible 24 hours

Under canopies of oak and beech trees, wild deer wander. Across open heath and grassland, forest-bred ponies and cattle have right of way. Welcome to the New Forest - enclosed as a royal forest by William the Conqueror over 900 years ago. Now a nationally-protected area, this is a delightful area of England to explore and within easy reach of London.

Bounded by Southampton to the east, the English Channel to the south and Bournemouth to the west, a number of small towns are found within the boundaries of the forest. They include Brockenhurst, Beaulieu, Lyndhurst and Fordingbridge, all excellent places to stay. The best station to travel to is Brockenhurst.

Cycling enthusiasts can make the most of the criss-crossing cycle paths, packing picnics to eat in the shade of the woods at lunchtime. Others ride horses across the land, fish, hike, play golf and waterski.

This being England, there are also plenty of wildlife parks to enjoy (the New Forest Owl Sanctuary, the New Forest Reptile Centre) as well as gardens to visit (Furzey Gardens, Exbury Gardens and Braxton Gardens).

Please visit the excellent New Forest website for more details.

Bournemouth