If there’s one phrase we all know and love since Covid it’s ‘staycation’ and, as far as destinations go, there isn’t a much better one than the New Forest. Stunning countryside, gorgeous beaches, delicious food and to top it off, wild ponies, donkeys and pigs roaming around the villages. For a long weekend with the family, this is ideal.
Where to Stay
We rented the stunning Rose Cottage in Lyndhurst, a dog-friendly home a stone’s throw from the New Forest National Park. The little house was ideal for the weekend, with a cosy living room and kitchen with a large garden big enough and secure enough for our puppy to run around in. Upstairs were two light and airy big double bedrooms, there was also a good-sized bathroom and a welcome pack with info on all the best local places to eat and visit.
Finding the Ponies
Start with a drive through the National Park. Miles and miles of luscious landscape dotted with endless wild ponies. We stopped to take pictures and walked around as they happily munched on grass and paid no attention to us at all. We then headed to the sweet village of Burley where you’ll find a spooktacular surprise. The village is famous for its history of witchcraft, and they have made sure we know it with all the witchy shops and cafes dotted around. Also, make sure to pop into the Burley Fudge Shop, some of the best fudge I’ve ever eaten.
A big surprise we also had in Burley was spotting the wild pigs! The pigs are usually only roaming freely for a few months from September to gather up the acorns so if you’re visiting for a weekend away out of Autumn, you’ll be unlikely to find any at all. But luckily we were there just before Halloween and there were pigs running around in the woods, much to my son’s delight!
Discovering History
On one cold and very blustery day, we headed to Hurst Castle – originally built in Tudor times, it was last used as a WW2 Fortress and, unlike most tourist spots, is relatively untouched so you really get a sense of what life was like there for the soldiers.
We travelled to the Castle on the local ferry from Keyhaven, but there’s a stunning walk along a one-and-a-half-mile pebble spit to get there too.
Not knowing much about what we would see and do there, we were blown away when we arrived to find a kid’s Halloween treasure hunt. With our help, Ollie hunted for witch’s hats dotted all over the rooms and outside the castle which each had a letter on to make a spooky word. There was also a dark and pretty scary maze hunt in one of the basement rooms. Luckily, Ollie didn’t get spooked like I did and found the treasure at the end. They also put on arts and crafts in one of the main buildings and had members of staff dressed up in mediaeval costumes – it was great fun. Visit their website to find out what’s on when you visit.
Beach Time
Another brilliant spot worth visiting is Lepe Beach, an unspoilt bit of coastline bordering Lepe National Park – an area of outstanding beauty. Take the buckets and spades, dogs are welcome too for a paddle and there’s a cafe in the car park that serves delicious cakes and coffee.
Where to Eat
After our trip to Hurst Castle, we got the ferry back to Keyhaven and decided to have lunch at the locally recommended Gun Inn. This gorgeous little pub has sat in the same spot since the 1700s. As soon as you walk in you’re greeted with locals and a roaring fire, classic pub grub, with a good kids’ menu and dogs are welcome too. After a windy ride on the ferry, this was as delightful as it can get.
Lyndhurst has lots of great places to eat too, we found a cute little Italian called Enzee where my son tucked into a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese. If you fancy rustling up something delicious at home, then I can’t recommend the farm shop in Setley Ridge enough for a great choice of local fresh produce.
The Info
To book a holiday cottage in the New Forest visit: www.newforestcottages.co.uk.
Contact us too if you want to share your New Forest travel stories.
The Joy 