The 12 best places to propose in New Forest National Park Hampshire

500 years old and girth of 7+ meters. It’s okay I guess but there are far grander oaks to be found in the UK with others ~1000 years so this more like middle-aged. Still it’s worth stopping by for a look and the oak is still growing so might last another 500 years with some TLC. The paths and car parking were undergoing an upgrade with new surfacing so it’s probably gonna be much more accessible.

Beautiful ancient tree, well worth a visit if you're interested in either history or the majestic beauty of our arboreal world. She may not be the most beautiful specimen you've ever seen, but she will probably be one of the oldest! Please note: There is a carpark that is very easy to find, if you head for Boulderwood, called The Knightwood Oak, but it's on the opposite side of the road to the tree and it's not particularly well signposted. Park the car then cross the small road and walk in a roughly straight line and you'll see the surrounding fence pretty quickly. It's literally a 5 minute walk along flat ground so it's easily accessible to most people. My mum is 91 and walks with a walker and she managed it just fine!

A large oak tree surrounded by a wooden palisade fence, a few boards with information about the history of the tree. Looked like someone had hacked it with a chainsaw as most of the branches had been cut off ruining the look of this beautiful old tree which was a little disappointing.

Very good accessible walk with lovely surroundings and a few picnic benches.

Good parking available with a short walk to the oak tree lots or other veteran trees to be seen nearby often full of wildlife. Don’t be surprised to see a couple of ponies to.

A wonderful relaxing walk through gorgeous woodland a must visit place

Great walking or cycling. Amazing walk through Tall Trees Hike and parking great, even for motorhome, alas not for overnight! In Oct deer very active for sighting and hearing. For drivers the 40mph zone is an incredible route through the New Forest.

Visited today with my otter-obsessed teenage daughters (13 & 15) for a keeper experience with the Giant Otters and the Asian Short Clawed Otters. We had the best day! Ali (our keeper) was so friendly and knowledge. Since it was a quiet day (lots of rain previously), she arrived with fish for the otters, but also food for the ferrets, polecats and deer (this ended up being a favourite as we got to hand feed and stroke the most beautiful fallow deer!) The park is fantastic. The enclosures really feel like part of the surroundings, and none of the animals seemed stressed (unlike in some zoos!). They do a lot of rehabilitation work, and support rescue organisations with rehoming etc. Honestly, I wish we’d come sooner! If you have kids that love animals, definitely visit. They have fantastic play areas as well as it being pretty accessible, and unlike some places is family-owned, so every visit matters. We will definitely return - probably for another keeper experience as we’ve been spoiled now. Thank you to the team there (including the really lovely lady at the entrance!) - you’re a credit to the park 🫶

Visited New Forest Wildlife Park and had a great time exploring the grounds. Loved seeing beautiful animals like lynx and wolves up close in natural-looking enclosures. The park is peaceful, well maintained, and set in a lovely forest environment. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Perfect spot for families or anyone who enjoys wildlife and nature walks. Highly recommend for a relaxing and interesting day out!

We booked a Keepers Experience for 2 of us for 2 hours. Ben was out keeper and it was his first time. He did extremely well. Very knowledgeable and friendly. We got to feed so many varieties of animals. It was very interesting. Highly recommend.

We had a lovely day. My chukcren especially enjoyed listening to the keeper talks and watching the animals being fed. Would have been 5 stars but there were a few animals which are not there currently which I was unaware of. May have missed this info on their website. Also was quite a cold day so would have been good to have been able to order hot drinks half way round.

An amazing wildlife park with beautiful well cared for animals and excellent knowledgeable friendly keepers. We visit most weeks as annual member holders and throughly enjoy it just as much every time- and always see something different! The keeper talks are always informative and interesting and learn something new. Their conversation work is amazing and it’s brilliant to see all the animals thriving. If I had to choose a favourite animal it would be the elusive Eurasian otter Chestnut but closely followed by the noisy Giant otter family- but love all of the animals. I will continue to visit as frequently and renew when the year is up- I’m very excited to see what they have planned next. Keep up the great work.

A lovely few hours spent here today. My granddaughter loved seeing so many well cared for animals up close. The young man doing the deer talk was really good and he interacted with the children. We could like to come back and do a keeper experience as this looked really good. My granddaughter drew sketches and wrote notes on the animals and she is only 6! A great day out.

A brilliant morning out. We bought our tickets in advance on the website so it was quick to get in. It was brilliant to see all of the otters and to see them being fed at 11 was a highlight as a keen otter lover. Place was quite easy to walk around and explore with no real steep inclines. Got to get close to the deer and were even able to pet one! It was disappointing to not see the wallabies not sure where they were hiding. There’s lots of things and places to keep kids entertained and overall a really good value experience.

Lovely walk in a peaceful area but sadly we only saw one deer 😔 the route isn't sign posted so we did get a bit lost at one stage. The ice cream truck in the car park had some delicious flavours and even one for the dog! Can get quite busy and difficult to park but just depends on timing.

This is one of my favourite stops for a walk in the New Forest. There are toilets and a coffee truck with yummy treats. There is also a viewing point to watch the deer in the sanctuary. Very busy at the weekend but well worth a weekday visit or get there early!!

Part of the New Forest and absolutely gorgeous 😍 several walk ways you can take around the park over varying times. There is a deer viewing area designated to spotting deer, but you can see them in and around the park whilst walking. There are wild horses about, too. Plenty of benches to sit around the park and the car park is completely free. Little coffee and ice cream shop in the car park is lovely

A lovely deer sanctuary. We headed here for a short walk and to hopefully see some deer. There was no deer by the deer platform, but we did spot some in the fields near the paths. There's plenty of paths, including some decent, stony ones. There's plenty of space in the carpark and toilets. There's also lots of grass for children to run around on and build dens.

This place is free to enter. It has a lovely drive up with lots of great views. Wild horses just roaming around on the drive up. There are many different parks of the forest you can park in. We followed one of the trails but unfortunately all the deers were hiding. Nice to kills some time just roaming around with nature 🍄‍🟫

Lovely walk through lovely forest areas. The deer viewing platform is a 2 minute walk, easily accessible and we saw a few bucks. No cycling in the forest either so no worries about being flattened by speedy/jumping cyclists either.

Beautiful forest walk . The carpark was busy as we came on a Saturday, saw a young deer at the beginning as we arrived..sadly nothing after that! It's very dry in the forest & understandably the tap in the toilets for washing hands was not working!! But there is a small mobile coffee place , ice cream a bit expensive. We appreciated the natural beauty of the area & took the chance to donate voluntarily via text or QR code .

This is a gorgeous spot for a play and a picnic. We loved seeing the wild horses running around here. If you want particularly good sightings of the wild horses with their foals in spring head to Wilverley Plain nearby.

Perfect place for family walk or picnic. You can almost always see horses or donkeys here. Just remember that you are not allowed to feed them. A very good place to take pictures of sunsets. The reflections in the water make an amazing effect. On warm sunny days you can also find an ice cream van here.

Beautiful place, to observe wildlife, and incredible landscaping. There is minimum one family of swans. After rebuilding carpark year ago or so, access and convenience of this place increase. Still you need to be careful, as already appearing some deeper dips in the gravel surface. Unfortunately after rebuild people with reduce mobility will have some challenges to move wheelchairs and reach the water edge. Still worth to go any time of the year, and day.

Visited by chance as I needed to pull over somewhere and find something in the boot, turned out to be a lovely couple of hours exploring and soaking up the beautiful views, surrounded by nature. A quaint spot that basically sums up the New Forest, loved it. Pics say it all. A proper ponies in the woods spot..and cows, and donkeys. No amenities, just a small gravel car park and nature - perfect for us but maybe take drinks and snacks if you have young kids and make sure you pee before you set off. Close to the very pretty village of Beaulieu - 5-10 minute drive depending on local traffic (foals).

Such a gem of a place! If you get your timings just right you might see some local animals enjoying the pond too…

Wow...beautiful, quiet and just stunning. Amazing walks and views...perfection

Always lovely for a walk. However if you want to see it’s full beauty then dusk or dawn makes for some beautiful views and reflections across the pond. Nearby is hatchet moor with its own small pond which has a spectacular show of water lilies throughout the summer months. Great place to have a picnic and to view many species of water birds. Free to park and walk.

Glorious location, free parking even in August and a great starting point for a walk. Head towards the high street for lovely shops or up to Bolton’s bench on the hill for views across the forest. Reputed to be haunted by a noble knight and his dogs who killed a dragon that terrorised the area.

Always a great walk here, views are amazing, free parking and safe enough distance away from the road for dogs to run around, as long as they are well behaved. It's the forest, so ponies and cattle. Please be aware and help keep them safe. Enjoy!

Stunning place for a walk. There are wild ponies that are beautiful and notices everywhere to inform do not touch. Plenty of space for everyone and for dogs to run free. Loads of free parking.

Such a great park! Peaceful, pretty & loads of walks to be accessed from here. The hill with the actual bench gives fantastic views across parts of the New Forest. A great place to visit.

Lovely place to be. Free parking. Lovely place to take a dog for a long walk. Dogs need to be on leads because of the ponies. Many places to park your car. There are a few ponies around today. On the edge of Lyndhurst town. It was very wet, but the sun came out. First time visiting this place.

This is a lovely place in the new forest. If you can get parking, then there's a nice walk around the area, good for dog walkers of course as it is in much of the forest. There are typically horses and donkeys in the area. It's only a 3 minute walk into Lyndhurst high street. There are sandy areas that kids can play in too if you wanted to bring a bucket and spade too. If you're looking for a nice picnic spot, this is it.

Ideal spot where you can park for free, see the animals and it's just a short 5 minute walk into Lyndhurst.

A beautiful location for a family day out or a romantic walk. There's 3 car parks which are usually busy, so I advise to arrive early. You have more chances to find a space in the smaller car parks which is the 1st one off the main road. In the main car park there's usually a coffee truck and ice cream. Picnic tables are also next to the main car park.

This is a stunning part of the New Forest with beautiful trails. The Tall Tree Trail is a personal favourite of mine, flanked by giant redwood trees it really feels magical to walk amongst these majestic trees. I grew up close to the New Forest and often return as it’s such a special place. This area, as well as Ornamental Drive are well worth visiting.

Just magical, so beautiful to walk around. This is an enclosed/gated area part-way along the Tall Trees Trail, only takes 15 minutes to walk around and then re-join the main trail. Lots of interesting information boards along the way.

We visited from an Airbnb in Portsmouth. It took us about an hour to get there, but it was well worth the trip! A great place to escape into nature in the picturesque New Forest. We did both the Tall trees trail and Arboretum trail in about 2 hours and this was with plenty stops for chats on the benches and little diversions walking more into the forest. It’s just be right amount of walk if you’re looking for something light but energetic. There were toilets and a van serving ice cream with a small choice of dairy-free and gluten free options too and plenty of picnic benches dotted around. We ended the trip with a coffee trip into the nearby village of Lyndhurst. Well worth the visit!

A great walk around some beautiful countryside, pretty flat so easy for all ages. Lots to take in and explore. Can imagine it would be beautiful whatever the season.

Amazing place to go for a walk. I will coming back soon. It has public toilets. And there is a small food truck that has all the essentials. Ice cream, coffee, snacks Great place !

The trail is very well-maintained with various species of trees from around the world located along the yellow path. An ice cream van and restrooms are available on-site, as well as free parking.

Highcliffe was brilliant, what a fantastic place to go! Every bit of it took my breath away, I couldn’t stop saying wow look at that. The zig zag to the beach was easy for anyone to use, the beach was amazing. When I went it was hot and sunny. No benches to sit on only big rocks or the beach. Can’t wait to go again and walk to the light house!!!

Got in at 1.15pm, and inside of castle tour was at 1.30pm. For only £3 extra was able to go into rooms not available to the public normally and get a really good storytelling volunteer guide named Sue. Very interesting and engaging. Exploring after that the grounds and eating cake were a plus. Love how its dog friendly for the cafe and their selection of food. Quite a historic place, very happy to have randomly found it on the map and making a detour.

Highcliffe Castle was built between 1831 and 1836 by Lord Stuart de Rothesay. Vast quantities of medieval French masonry was shipped across the channel and used in its construction, making it appear older than it actually is. Kings, Queens and the rich and famous have all stayed here over the years. The castle interior was destroyed by fire in the 60s but grants from Heritage and Lottery funding have been used in its restoration. It's a truly beautiful building with so much history! There's a lovely walk down to Highcliffe Beach as well.

Highcliffe Castle is a beautifully restored building located just back from the seafront on the Dorset Coast. Well worth a visit. Plenty of open space for children and dogs to run about. There are tours inside the house if you wish to pay for a ticket and explore the rooms. There is a lovely café/restaurant on site with outdoor and indoor seating. Very clean well maintained toilets too. I should imagine it can get very busy at peak times, although there is a good amount of parking space. A short walk to the nearby beach is available. Usually very quiet, and dog friendly as it is away from nearby Mudeford and Christchurch.

Looks magnificent on the outside but a bit disappointing on the inside in my opinion. Has been restored post 2 fires in the 60's but not quite back to its former glory, I don't mind the brick wall etc.but the modern style staircase just doesn't suit the style.

Amazing! Before you start your journey you can watch a very short informational video. Only issue I had was there was no reset for the video. Very friendly and helpful staff!

Really impressive castle right next to the beach. I didn’t have the opportunity to go inside but it is free to walk all around the castle. You can have a lovely walk around the garden and access the cafe + castle shop at the rear of the castle. The castle is in walking distance of the beach where you can either take the stairs or an accessible route - the “zig-zag path” which is really convenient if you don’t want to tire yourself out by taking the stairs! There is parking on site.

Wonderful old ferry boats up and down the river and harbour, beautiful views. Staff consistently not welcoming, unhelpful, especially with getting on the boat and baggage, never offer and always on their phones. Feels like a “ not interested” tone. Hospitality people!

My friend and our children Hired a boat from here recently. And we just want to say how impressed we were with the young lads working here. Professional friendly and helped make the experience the best it could possibly be. Thank you we will definitely be back.

Lovely experience. We did the trip from Mudeford to Tuckton and came back via Christchurch which was a great day out. The boats are beautiful and obviously well maintained. And the all the staff super helpful and friendly. Highly recommended.

We hired a ferry for an hours harbour cruise, to celebrate my Mum's 100th birthday, together with 30 other guests. We left and returned from the Captains Club as had function arranged there afterwards. Jack, the skipper was very accommodating and together with the crew, assisted in ensuring everybody (several elderly) got on and off safely. The weather was iffy on the day, but we were lucky for the most part. The boat provided was 2/3 covered, so would have been OK even if it had tipped down. Our trip clashed with the annual rowing regatta, but Jack skilfully worked round this, which only added to the enjoyment. We were allowed to take drinks / alcohol onboard, provided served in plastic glasses, and supplied everything. We cleared up as we went, and Jack was happy to dispose of garbage bags afterwards. Overall, a unique experience and would recommend as good value for money to others considering something different for a special event.

Very interesting guide talk and great views very crowded though so best to get there early and get a decent seat.

We didn't hire anything in the end because we ran out of time but it's open from 10am, last boat hire for 30 minutes is at 4.30pm for £25. Friendly staff.

Had the loveliest journey from Mudeford to Christchurch. Great service, great crew. Thanks for the trip!

(Translated by Google) A great place for a walk and relaxation (Original) Świetne miejsce na spacer i wypoczynek