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: the benefits of nature
Like most commoners I work full-time in a job that is not related in any way to the New Forest. Recently I’ve been travelling more and more to London for various meetings and events. Witnessing the hectic pace of city … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Commoner, development, divorce, health, Industrial Revolution, London, nature, New forest, plants, trees, wellbeing, wildlife
Leave a comment
Stallions on the New Forest
There has been a lot of excitement on the New Forest recently due to the stallions being released onto the Open Forest. This is an annual event and, this year (2014), ten male ponies have been turned out to run … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Arabian, Commoner, cull, Eclipse, Elizabeth I, foals, Henry VIII, mares, Marske, Michaelmas, nature, New forest, New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society, slaughter, stallions, Thoroughbred, Tudor, Verderers, Victorian, wild
Leave a comment
New Forest Stallion Areas 2014
Each year stallions are released onto the Open Forest to run with the free-roaming mares and sire the next generation of New Forest pony. The stallions are carefully selected by the Verderer’s of the New Forest and the New Forest Pony Breeding … Continue reading
New Forest: picnics and ponies
The late spring and early summer is a much favoured time of the year for many Forest dwellers and visitor alike. It is the time when the lushness of nature returns to the Forest, our migratory birds have again taken … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged bacchanalian, British, feast, foals, Forest Byelaws, King, May, merry, New forest, nobles, picnic blanket, picnics, ponies, sandwiches, titbit
Leave a comment
New Forest: the costs and benefits of commoning
I’ve been doing a bit of sums recently and calculating the cost of being a commoner on the New Forest. I can tell you that it’s not cheap. After registering my mark, having my brand made, joining the New Forest … Continue reading
New Forest: history lessons, hunting and conservation.
With the development of high-tech communication tools the world seems to be becoming a smaller place. News, images and videos from the far reaches of the world are available in an instant on your TV, computer or mobile phone. Much … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest
Tagged Birdlife-Malta, birds, conservation, history, Malta, Montgue's harrier, New forest, osprey, Robert Carter, sea eagle, shooting, Social media, specimen collectors, Victorian
Leave a comment
New Forest: the importance of names
When William the Conqueror established his ‘Nova Foresta’ in 1079AD he did so to create an area for royal hunting. The New Forest was named as such, not because it was a densely wooded area, but because it was an … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Angles, Doomsday Book, Jutes, National Nature Reserves (NNR), National Park, New forest, Normans, Nova Foresta, park, Ramsar, Saxons, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protected Areas (SPA), venison, vert, William the Conqueror
Leave a comment
New Forest: the arrival of ‘Doctor Green’
With the warmer weather and longer days upon us more visitors are coming to the New Forest to enjoy its scenic beauty, tranquil atmosphere, wildlife and, of course, the free-roaming ponies. The ponies, quite rightly, have been given the title … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged Agisters, biodiversity, body condition scores, DEFRA, Doctor Green, Furzey Gardens, gorse, heather, holly, National Equine Welfare Council, New forest, New Forest pony, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, spring grass, Ulex europaeus, Verderer's Court, wild ponies
Leave a comment
New Forest: ‘talking’ with wild ponies
The beauty of the New Forest is a stunning backdrop in which to practice commoning. The open heaths, ancient woodland pastures and valley mires have been shaped by the commoner’s free-roaming animals. The animals, in their turn, have been shaped … Continue reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.