http://www.yourdog.co.uk 41Unique, mysterious, and breathtakingly
beautiful — the New Forest is an area you
and your dog will love exploring.
t he New Fore
s
tA dog lover’s
guide to:
New
series
WELCOME TO
DOGGY PARADISE!W
ith its free-roaming ponies,
cattle, and deer, and an
abundance of bird life, the New
Forest covers more than 219 square miles
of heathland, ancient woodland, and
wetlands, all set around picture-postcard
villages in south-west Hampshire and
south-east Wiltshire.
This unique area became a national
park in 2005, but its origins are much
more ancient. In 1079, William the
Conqueror named the area his ‘new
hunting forest’, and established a system
to protect and manage the woodlands
and wilderness heaths, which is still in
place today.
Little could he realise that, nearly 1,000
years later, his ‘Nova Foresta’ would still
retain its mystery and romance. Today, the
New Forest off ers 140 miles of tracks and
footpaths to explore, and has become
a favourite haunt of dog lovers. In fact, the
area has one of the highest proportions of
dog owners in the UK. It is reported that
39 per cent of homes have at least one
dog, and the New Forest National Park
Authority estimates that 25,000 dogs are
walked in the area per day.
If you’re planning a visit to this beautiful
part of Britain, here are some suggestions
on what to do, and where to walk, along
with advice from dog lovers who both
work and live in The Forest. ▼Discover the beautiful New Forest.t he
New Fore
st
39-44 YD New Forest CS(SW)ok .indd 41 26/03/2019 17:43