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 Commoner
Being a New Forest Commoner
For me, being a New Forest commoner is an enormous privilege that has drawn me into a community of people who share a passion for the New Forest landscape, its flora, fauna and cultural heritage. A commoner is a person … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Comments Off on Being a New Forest Commoner
New Year and good health!
Shortly after the New Year begins, it seems that we are bombarded with advertising on television, social media, in magazines and via the Internet for holidays in the sun or sure-fire ways of getting fit or losing weight. It always … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Commoner, dogs, fitness, Folk cures, good health, green gym, Healing plants, health, Herb-lore, Herbs, medicine, natural remedies, New forest, New Year, ponies
Leave a comment
New Forest: autumn drifts in
A sure sign of autumn in the commoner’s calendar is the commencement of the pony drifts that take place each year. The drifts are round-ups that are conducted by the Agisters and commoners with the aim of collecting together as … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Agister, autumn, Commoner, community, district, drift, New forest, ponies, pony, pound, round-up, Tradition, Verderers
Comments Off on New Forest: autumn drifts in
New Forest: haymaking in the sunshine
It’s been a busy week this week. I’ve been collecting bales of hay off the fields to be stored and used over the winter for my animals. Haymaking has been part of the farming calendar for over 6,000 years and … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged cattle, couchancy, deer, diet, harvest, hay, haymaking, Hocktide, levancy, Michealmas, New forest, oath, ponies, Saxon, winter heyning
Leave a comment
New Forest: warm welcomes and creature comforts
I went to visit a friend of mine recently for a long overdue catch up over a mug of coffee. This particular friend, a lady with a widespread knowledge of the New Forest, comes from a long established commoning family … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Aga, axe, caffè latte, Calf, Commoner, creature comfort, dairy, faggots, fire, foal, heat, logs, New forest, puppy, range, smoke, tractor, trailer, welcome, woodstove
Comments Off on New Forest: warm welcomes and creature comforts
New Forest: natural connections
In the last few weeks it has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to be invited into the homes of several long-established commoning families and spend time in their company. Congregating in the kitchen seems to be the standard practice, … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged adults, ancient, animals, children, close-knit, common, Commoner, community, conserve, education, generation, information, insects, inter-generational, landscape, livestock, neighbourhood, neighbourhoods, New forest, non-human, pastoral, plants, pony, preserve, resident, residents, traditional, trees
Comments Off on New Forest: natural connections
New Forest: being called a ‘nimby’ is no joke!
I was teasingly called a ‘nimby’ this week. It was during a conversation about the New Forest when I happened to mention that I was a commoner. The person I was talking to laughed and casually said, “Oh, you’re one … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged affluent, anti, backyard, benefits, biodiversity, Cycling, democratic, developers, ecology, economy, environment, faux pas, Government, green, health, housing, jobs, joke, Middle England, mimby, New forest, nimby, Not In My Back Yard, prejudice, prosperity, special qualities, unique
Comments Off on New Forest: being called a ‘nimby’ is no joke!
New Forest: commoning generations
While visitors to the New Forest, and those lucky enough to reside here, undoubtably appreciate its magnificent scenery, free roaming livestock, and exceptional wildlife, not many would consider the significance to the landscape of the unbroken chain of Forest ancestry … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged ancestors, ancestry, commoning, families, family, generation, generations, heritage, landscape, livestock, New forest, Purkis, Rufus, Saxon, scenery, symbiotic, wildlife, William I, William II, Winchester, Ytene
Comments Off on New Forest: commoning generations
New Forest: where’s the her-story?
Of all the books I’ve read about the New Forest, it occurs to me that very few relate the New Forest from the feminine perspective or, indeed, tell women’s stories of living or growing up in this unique environment. It … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged ailments, children, donkey, feminine, Forester, Gilbert Smith, her-story, his-story, horse, Keeper, myxomatosis, New forest, physical, rabbits, remedy, self-sufficient, women, wood
Comments Off on New Forest: where’s the her-story?
New Forest: the sweet smell of a job well done
This week has been one of hectic hay making activity. The hay was cut on Friday morning last week and tedded (spread for drying) several times during the weekend and rowed-up ready for baling during Monday morning. The smell from … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest Commoner
Tagged Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, aroma, bales, Buzzard, Common Bent, countryside, Crested Dog's-tail, Cynosurus cristatus, field mice, fox, grasses, hay, meadow, Phleum pratense, Sweet Vernal-grass, Tawny Owl, Timothy, voles
Comments Off on New Forest: the sweet smell of a job well done
You must be logged in to post a comment.