About the New Forest near The Swallows Holiday Cottage - Fordingbridge, Ringwood, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Southhmpton Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire

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Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset & The New Forest offers a multitude of attractions for visitors. The countryside encompasses some of the UK’s most pictuesque scenery, both inland and coastal. Amateur and professional geologists alike will find the Jurassic Coast fascinating. Man’s occupation of the area is evident as far back as the Iron Age and many of the towns and villages identified in the Domesday Book are still in existence.

A good starting point in each town is the Tourist Information Centre, which will have leaflets, books and maps relating to the town and surrounding area.

People who live here will tell you that The New Forest is a lively, working landscape with many secrets to discover. The only way to reveal The New Forest’s hidden gems and truly appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the forest is to get out there and explore. Try to escape from the confines of the car and head out on foot, bicycle or on horseback to get a more intimate feel of the forest, its coastline and picturesque villages.
Across Dorset and The New Forest, ancient trade routes connect a range of fascinating market towns, mainly dating from Saxon or earlier times. The following trails include some of the most interesting towns, but there are many more a little further off the beaten track waiting to be explored.
A good starting point in each town is the Tourist Information Centre, which will have leaflets, books and maps relating to the town and surrounding area.

The New Forest in Winter near The Swallows Holiday Cottage, Holiday Lett, Self Catering Apartment, Holiday Accommodation, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Southhampton, Hampshire, Wiltshire Dorset.

Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and The New Forest offers fantastic opportunities for outdoor leisure. Our stunning coastline and protected bays and harbours offer some nationally renowned locations for watersports such as windsurfing, scuba diving, sailing and fishing. Along the coastline and inland, the walking trails are second to none and offer a very real opportunity to get away from it all. Cyclists are well catered-for with a range of short and longer cycle trails, from 'easy' to 'challenging'. Horse riders are offered some truly wonderful routes, and an extensive range of bridlepaths well away from any built areas or busy roads. For the more adventurous, gliding, zorbing, ballooning and even llama trekking are available in the region!

The New Forest offers a great variety of places to eat, from classic hotel restaurants to the best of brasseries, the traditional English pub with real ales to the prettiest tea rooms with the most indulgent cream teas imaginable.

You can get a real taste of The New Forest by choosing local specialties identified by the New Forest Marque when you are dining out.

By selecting local food that is fresh and in season, you will actually be helping the forest to stay special by supporting local farmers and small businesses. More and more pubs, restaurants and accommodation providers are sourcing local ingredients. The New Forest Marque helps people to choose food and goods which have been grown, reared, caught, brewed or produced in the New Forest.

In order to qualify for the Marque, New Forest producers have to make sure that their goods meet stringent quality standards. Meat producers, for example, must show that very high standards of animal welfare and good husbandry have been applied at all times.