New Forest is a wooded district in south Hampshire, England. It is bounded by the River Avon and Southampton Water. It covers about 290 square miles (751 square kilometers). The district council, which governs the region, is at Lyndhurst.
The New Forest National Park covers about two-thirds of the New Forest district. Ponies and deer roam the parkland, which consists mainly of forest and moor. The park is administered by England’s National Park Authority.
The New Forest was created as a deer hunting area in 1079 by William the Conqueror. His son, William II, known as William Rufus, was killed in a hunting accident in the forest in 1100. Timber from the New Forest was used to build ships for the British navy from the 1600’s to the 1800’s. Today, the New Forest is a popular area for tourists and hikers.
Lyndhurst, the “capital” of the New Forest, contains the Court of Verderers—the guardians of the forest. Alice Liddell, Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is buried in the churchyard of Lyndhurst’s Church of St. Michael and All Angels. Nearby, the village of Beaulieu is home to the National Motor Museum and the ruins of a medieval abbey. See also Carroll, Lewis ; William I, the Conqueror ; William II .
