The Gallery
Learning about and practising commoning on the New Forest.
In medieval times a forest meant an area preserved for royal hunting, and not a wooded area as it does today.
The Agisiter ensures welfare standards of the free-roaming animals are maintained.
The ‘architects’ of the New Forest.
The New Forest landscape supports many species of plants, insects, birds and mammals. It should be valued as a reserve for nature.
One of many gatherings where Commoners can exchange news, information and knowledge.
Pannage season is part of the ancient commoning rights and a popular tradition.
Traditional management practices, particularly commoning, have conserved the ecological diversity of the Forest.
Category Archives: New Forest
New Forest: visitors feeding ponies could be spreading equine disease
Keeping free-roaming ponies on the New Forest is a pleasure and a privilege. Walking through the woodland pathways and along the heathland tracks in search of my mares are journeys always full of anticipation and enjoyment. At this time of … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged Agister, bacteria, Beaulieu Road Sales, bio security, contagious, donkeys, Dr Green, equine distemper, feral herds, horses, New forest, ponies, Pony Drift, respiratory disease, strangles, strangling, Streptococcus equi, Verderer
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New Forest: an ancient and diverse landscape
Many visitors to the New Forest are surprised to discover that its landscape is not filled with woods or trees. Some are even more astonished to learn that the area is ancient and not ‘new’ at all. The reason for … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna
Tagged ancient woodland, Bronze Age, Hampshire, Ice Age, Knightwood Oak, Medieval, New forest, wildwood, William the Conqueror
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New Forest: heathland management and controlled burning
Visitors to the northern part of the New Forest recently (Febuary 2015) may have witnessed a technique for managing the heathland that has been practiced for generations, namely controlled burning. The Forestry Commission undertakes this activity now, which aims to … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna
Tagged cattle, commonable stock, commoners, commoning, controlled burning, fire, Forestry Commission, gorse, heathland, holly, New forest, ponies, Verderers
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New Forest: poachers who steal more than game
In last week’s edition of the Forest Journal (05.02.15) was a front-page article about poaching that caught my eye. Poaching is defined as ‘the illegal practice of trespassing on another’s property to hunt or steal game without the landowner’s permission’. … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna
Tagged animal welfare, countryside, Forest Charter 1217, Forest Law, game, Lyndhurst, New forest, poachers, red deer stag, Rufus Stirrup, stealing, The Monarch, theft, Verderer's Court
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New Forest: Magna Carta and Commoner’s Charter
In London recently (February 2015) was held an event so momentous that over 40,000 people entered a public ballot in order to be present. The four surviving original copies of the 1215AD Magna Carta were brought together for the first … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest customs
Tagged 1215, 1217, Charter of the Forest, Commoners Charter, coronation edict, Declaration of Human Rights, edict, Forest Law, Great Charter of the Liberties, Henry I, John Lackland, Magna Carta, New forest, Rufus the Red, US Constitution, Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act
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New Forest: searching for ponies and finding litter
One of the great benefits of being a commoner is getting to explore the heathland and woods in search of my ponies. No matter what time of year the New Forest is a place of breath taking scenic beauty. The … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Dartford warbler, dog excrement, litter, New forest, ponies, refuse, rubbish, wildlife
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New Forest: Christmas customs and traditions
Christmas is a time for celebration, merry social gatherings and observing Yuletide customs. In the New Forest during times past traditional mummers plays were performed at Christmas. The plays were usually folk dramas, often featuring Father Chrismas, the heroic figure of … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest customs
Tagged Boxing Day, carol singing, custom, Father Christmas, go gooding, mummers plays, New forest, point, point-2-point, scales, snogs, squirrel hunt, squoyles, St George, tipeering, Tradition
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New Forest: The cow and the cattlegrid
I was in the pub one evening last week (December 2014) and offered a lift home to a long established commoning friend of mine. We drove across the Forest chatting away until, within a couple of hundred yards of their … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest cattle, New Forest Commoner
Tagged cattle, cattle grid, Commoner, commoning, Cow, heifer, herd, New forest
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New Forest ponies with moustaches
I was in the pub recently watching the rugby (November 2014). Many of the players in the England squad were sporting moustaches, in support of ‘Movember’, to raise awareness of prostate cancer. As I looked around the room there were … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged Commoner, facial hair, fuzz-toppers, gelding, gorse, holly, mare, moustache, Movember, New forest, pony-mo, Pony-tache, stallion
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New Forest: Lane Creepers
Before the New Forest was fenced and gridded the free-roaming stock ranged widely outside the official boundary. Commoner’s ponies were known to reach as far as the eastern suburbs of Southampton, down into Christchurch in the southwest, and almost into … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged hobbles, Lane Creeper, New forest, New Forest boundary, New Forest pony, perambulation, pound
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