Much of the New Forest is made up of endless open heathland. In spring and autumn it is spectacular – a purple carpet of heather speckled with vibrant yellow splashes of gorse. In off-peak seasons visitors will find quieter roads, a good choice of accommodation – the New Forest boasts four of the top 200 hotels in the country – locally produced good food and a forest all their own. In the scattered woodlands there are magnificent ancient trees, crystal clear streams and sunny glades filled with flowers and butterflies. Where the forest meets the sea you can relax on the beaches and enjoy magnificent scenery.

Brockenhurst, lies in a Heritage Area in the Hampshire part of the New Forest. The New Forest, often known as William the Conqueror’s Forest, is Europe’s largest surviving area of ancient pasture woodland and all around are wild ponies, deer and cows roaming at will. The North and South Weirs streams join and as one flow through Brockenhurst and the Weirs stream meets the river formed by the Blackwater and Ober Water to become the Lymington River.

The village of Lyndhurst lies close to Southampton and contains the villages of Bramshaw, Denny Lodge and Minstead. Lyndhurst literally means "the lime wood". Among its treasures are the Queen’s House and the Verderer’s Court; the parish church with its fresco by Lord Leighton and fine stained glass windows; the little church at Emery Down and the charming almshouses. The "Old Park" of Lyndhurst is where the Parkhill Hotel now stands.

Lymington in Hampshire is a lovely Georgian market town situated on the southern edge of the New Forest and at the western end of the Solent. The town is a world renowned sailing resort with two large marinas: Berthon and Haven and close by is an open-air seawater bath that was built in 1833. Lymington has a number of interesting independent shops including some designer boutiques. On Saturday a market is held in the High Street.