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.
Tag Archives: commoning
New Forest: Autumn colours signal pannage season
Autumn on the New Forest is always a time of spectacle. The breaking dawn bursting upon the ancient landscape painted with reds, lilacs, browns and oranges is a visual treat guaranteed to draw wonder from those who rise early enough … Continue reading
Posted in Pannage season
Tagged acorns, ancient, autumn, breaking dawn, chocolate, colour, Common of Mast, commoners, commoning, New forest, Pannage, pigs, pony, pork, Rights of Common, tradtional
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New Forest: biblical weather of yesteryear
This week our annual, late-summer appointment with the chimney sweep occurred, and just as well because there have been a few nights over the past week or so that I’ve been sorely tempted to light a fire in the hearth. … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest
Tagged 1703, agriculture, biblical, Big Freeze, BST, Church, commoning, flood, Fordingbridge, Forestry, gale, Gorely, Great Storm, hogs, hurricane, lead, New forest, Ringwood, River Avon, roof, Royal Navy, St. Mary's, storm, thunder, tornado, weather, wind
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New Forest: newborn foals and spring arrive together
The past few weeks of visiting the New Forest to check on my free-roaming mares have been a reminder to all my senses of just how glorious a place this is. The sound of the cuckoo, skylark and lapwing in … Continue reading
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
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New Forest: animal accidents on Roger Penny Way
Over the past couple of weeks (February 2017) there have been a series of collisions on the B3078 – Roger Penny Way – that have resulted in the deaths of several New Forest ponies. In one incident, although the driver … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Animal Road Traffic Accidents
Tagged B3078, car, Commoners Defence Association, commoning, death, driver, Forestry Commission, graphic, Hampshire County Council, image, injury, motorist, New forest, New Forest District Council, New Forest National Park Authority, New Forest Trust, Parish Council, police, ponies, pony, Roger Penny Way, speeding, Verderer
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New Forest: outwitted by a greedy pony!
I went to visit a commoning friend of mine recently while they were feeding hay to the cows in one of their fields, and thought I could be of some assistance by opening and closing the gate for them. Ordinarily … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest cattle, New Forest pony
Tagged cattle, commoning, field, food, grass greener, greedy pony, hay, mare, meadow, New forest, Open Forest, other side, plans, pony, winter
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New Forest: cows, co-operation and community
The Christmas-to-New-Year holiday period is a great time for catching up with friends and family and for spending quality time in their company. There is generally lots of feasting and merry-making to be done, which is often accompanied by generous … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest
Tagged Aberdeen Angus, Calf, cattle, Christmas, co-operation, commoning, community, Cow, cows, environment, farming, free-roaming, herd, Mary Christmas, matriarch, nature, New forest, New Year, rural, seasons, smallholding, urban, wildlife
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New Forest & Hampshire County Show 2016
One of the highlights in the calendar of any New Forest commoner has got to be the New Forest & Hampshire County Show. The show was originally conceived just after WW1, as a way to support farmers and develop agricultural … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest
Tagged Carriage driving, cattle, Common Rights, commoning, cows, events, judges, New Forest & Hampshire County Show, news, NFCDA, NFNPA, Pannage, pig, private driving, showing, smallholding, training, Verderer
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New Forest: self medication and creature comforts
The free-roaming ponies, cows, donkeys and, during pannage, pigs on the New Forest are usually able to take care of themselves and do not require the constant attention required by their intensively farmed or field-kept counterparts. Even the process of giving … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest cattle, New Forest flora & fauna, New Forest pony
Tagged adder, Agister, animals, cattle, commoners, commoning, cows, donkeys, Forestry Commission, healthy, heifer, injured, lame, New forest, pharmacy, pigs, ponies, self medication, sick, snake bite, unwell, venom, Verderer, welfare standards
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New Forest: winter is coming
The warm weather of late (September 2015) has been a welcome accompaniment as I perform the last of the autumn harvesting. Most of the vegetables from the raised beds have been picked and preserved ready for use over the winter. The … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged blackberries, bylaws, cobnut, commoning, drift, elderberries, glut, good condition, harvest, largesse, Lucifer, New forest, Old Michaelmas, rosehips, round-up, sloes, squirrels, sweet chestnut, winter
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