The New Forest is a national park in southern England covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire, encompassing one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the region.
Proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror and recorded in Domesday Book, the area has been shaped by centuries of human use—including as a timber source for the Royal Navy in the 18th century—while maintaining ancient commoning traditions. The New Forest Commoners still exercise recognised rights of common pasture, overseen by official verderers and agisters. Today the forest spans 289 square kilometres designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, protecting rare birds and mammals alongside habitats of geological and biological significance. Multiple sites within the park hold Special Area of Conservation, Ramsar and Special Protection Area status, while areas such as Kingston Great Common serve as national nature reserves and others are managed by the National Trust and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
