For comprehensive information about the New Forest National Park
***** For information about New Forest access restrictions and related matters, check out the Forestry England website. *****
New Forest What's On - a guide to New Forest events
There is always much to enjoy in the New Forest, including a wide variety of indoor and outdoor events and activities. Check out What's On using this handy events guide. Note, single day events are listed first, followed by longer running events.
Due to the Coronavirus crisis, many New Forest events are currently on hold.
Contact individual venues for more information.
March 2020
Sunday, 1st March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, European School of Tai Chi Chuan, 10.00am - 5.00pm.
Monday, 2nd March
- Burley Village Hall, Film Night, 7.30pm.
Tuesday, 3rd March
- Emery Down and Bank Village Hall, Country Houses of the New Forest and Test Valley by Frank Green, 7.30pm. We will look at a range of historic houses from the earliest, with no known builder or designer, to grand houses designed by named architects, set in managed landscapes with formally designed gardens.
Frank Green has worked in Hampshire since the mid-1970s as an archaeologist with interests in environmental archaeology and historic buildings. Until his retirement in October 2019 he was the first professional archaeologist appointed by the New Forest NPA. Entrance £4 on the door. Refreshments available.
(Event organised by 'How We Used To Live', the local history group for Allum Green, Bank, Emery Down and Gritnam).
Thursday, 5th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, Paraphernalia Fair, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, New Forest History and Archaeology Group, 7.30pm. Julian Richards, well known TV presenter, writer and archaeologist, will give a charity fundraising talk for the Disasters Emergency Committee and World Food Programme. The talk is entitled 'Stonehenge, the story so far. Everything you always wanted to know about Stonehenge but were afraid to ask'. Members £2.00, non-members £4.00.
Friday, 6th March
- Burley Village Hall, Burley Primary School Rock and Roll Bingo Night, 7.30pm.
Sunday, 8th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, Mind, Body, Spirit Fayre, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Over 35 Stalls including Tarot readings, Healing, Artwork, Jewelry, Crafts plus free talks throughout the day - for more information or to book a table please contact 07800 734911.
Wednesday, 11th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, RSPB Group meeting, 7.30pm. 'Wildlife Wanderings in the Northern Isles' by member Richard Coomber. Admission for non-members, £5.00.
Friday, 13th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, New Forest Aviation Group, 7.00pm for 7.30pm. 'ASTOR - Airborne Stand-Off Radar' by Joe Marsden. The talk will be preceded by the (short) NFAG AGM. Visitors £4 including light refreshments.
- Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst, Great British Spring Clean, 10.30am - 12.30pm. Forestry England are looking for volunteers to join a litter pick at Bolton's Bench in support of the Great British Spring Clean. Equipment, including PPE, will be provided.
Saturday, 14th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, Book Fair, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
Tuesday, 17th March
- Exbury Gardens, BBC Gardeners' Question Time, 5.00pm - 8.00pm.
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway will be hosting a live recording of the BBC's Gardeners' Question Time. This special event will take place in the Railway Engine Shed, a unique location for the much-loved BBC Radio 4 programme. Whether you're a keen veggie grower, an urban potter, an amatuer landscaper or a first time gardener, all are welcome to attend and have the chance to submit a question to the panel.
Questions for the panel: If you wish to submit a question to the panel, the question can only be written on an official ticket / question card and placed in the box in the Engine Shed by 5.30pm on the day of the event. It is therefore recommended that questions be prepared in advance and copied onto the official ticket / question card once it has been collected.
Friday, 20th March
- Brockenhurst Village Hall, Film night - Official Secrets (PG), 7.00pm - 10.30pm.
The Cinema is in the Forest Hall. The doors open at 7.00pm and the evening programme begins at 7.30pm. After a short film or two and a trailer for the next film, there is an interval when you can chat with friends while enjoying a glass of wine, ice creams, coffee, tea, cake etc. before settling down to watch the main film.
Based on world shaking true events, Official Secrets tells the gripping story of Katherine Gun (Keira Knightly) a British intelligence specialist whose job involves routine handling of classified information. Unable to stand by and watch the world be rushed into an illegal war, Gun makes the difficult decision to defy her government and leak a memo to the press.
Buy your tickets online via the What's On section of the Village Hall website, from the Village Hall office (Monday - Friday 9.00am - 1.00pm), or from Pot Pouri. Tickets are also available on the door for £6.50. - Friends of St Barbe, Lymington Baptist Church (opposite St Barbe), New Street, Lymington; Talk by Emma Page, 7.30pm - 9.30pm. The Mitford Family and the creation of the Exbury Estate. Doors Open at 7.00pm and the talk starts at 7.30pm. Free entry for Friends of St. Barbe, £5 for Guests.
Saturday, 21st March
- Burley Village Hall, Burley Scouts' Quiz Night, 7.00 pm.
Sunday, 22nd March
- Exbury Gardens, Half price for mums on Mothering Sunday, 10.00am - 5.30pm.
Enjoy a visually enlightening spring day out walking along paths lined with camellias, magnolias and early-flowering rhododendrons. You can even sit amongst swathes of yellow in Daffodil Meadow or the new River of Gold (100,000 spring bulbs), before grabbing tea and cake in Mr Eddy's Restaurant.
Monday, 23rd March
- Verderers Hall open morning, Lyndhurst, 10.00am - 12 noon.
Come and visit the Verderers Hall, for an exclusive opportunity to visit this historic building and learn more about the important role it plays in the New Forest. This event, which is suitable for all ages, is organised by the New Forest Heritage Centre and Forestry England.
No booking is required. You can just turn up.
Parking is in the main Lyndhurst car park only. Sorry, no dogs allowed.
Friday, 27th March
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, Film Night - Official Secrets (15), 7.00pm for 7.30pm. One day in 2003, in the lead up to the Iraq War, British intelligence specialist Katharine Gun receives a memo from the NSA with a shocking directive: the United States is enlisting Britain's help in collecting compromising information on U.N. Security Council members to blackmail them into voting in favour of an invasion of Iraq. Unable to stand by and watch the world be rushed into war, Gun makes the gut-wrenching decision to defy her government and leak the memo to the press. Starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith.
Saturday, 28th March
- Burley Village Hall, Craft Fayre, 10.30am - 5.00pm.
Sunday, 29th March
- Burley Village Hall, Craft Fayre, 10.30am - 5.00pm.
- Lyndhurst Community Centre, Dolls House Fair, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
Monday, 30th March
- Blackwater Arboretum, Tree Tour, 10.00am - 12.00 noon. Take a tour around the arboretum to discover the hidden history and secrets of this unique tree collection. Forestry England event. £2 per person, payable on arrival, suitable for all ages, dogs on leads welcome. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.
April 2020
Friday, 3rd April
- Friends of St Barbe, Lymington Baptist Church (opposite St Barbe), New Street, Lymington; Talk by Emily Jo Gibbs, 7.30pm - 8.30pm.
Emily Jo Gibbs is a member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists. Emily will talk about her work as part of a project for our exhibition - she created a special series called 'The Boat Builders', portraits of apprentices working at the Berthon Boat Company.
Doors Open at 7.00pm and the talk starts at 7.30pm. Free entry for Friends of St. Barbe, £5 for Guests.
Monday, 6th April
- Burley Village Hall, Film Night, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 8th April
- New Forest Reptile Centre, Wild Wednesday, 10.30am - 4.00pm. Forestry England event. Enjoy a date with nature at the New Forest Reptile Centre, with fun activities for the whole family. Drop in event, no booking required, suitable for all ages, dogs welcome on leads, free entry but suggested donation for parking.
Thursday, 9th April
- Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst, Wild about Ponies, 1.00pm - 2.00pm. Forestry England event. Meet a New Forest Ranger and learn about New Forest ponies and other livestock which live in the forest. Enjoy a fun, free information session and learn all the answers to your questions about the four-legged icons of the New Forest. Suitable for all, one mile walk, dogs welcome on leads, no booking required.
Tuesday, 14th April
- Verderers Hall open morning, Lyndhurst, 10.00am - 12 noon.
Come and visit the Verderers Hall, for an exclusive opportunity to visit this historic building and learn more about the important role it plays in the New Forest. This free event, which is suitable for all ages, is organised by the New Forest Heritage Centre and Forestry England.
No booking is required. You can just turn up.
Parking is in the main Lyndhurst car park only. Sorry, no dogs allowed.
Wednesday, 15th April
- New Forest Reptile Centre, Wild Wednesday, 10.30am - 4.00pm. Forestry England event. Enjoy a date with nature at the New Forest Reptile Centre, with fun activities for the whole family. Drop in event, no booking required, suitable for all ages, dogs welcome on leads, free entry but suggested donation for parking.
Thursday, 16th April
- Hatchet Pond, near Beaulieu, Wild about Ponies, 1.00pm - 2.00pm. Forestry England event. Meet a New Forest Ranger and learn about New Forest ponies and other livestock which live in the forest. Enjoy a fun, free information session and learn all the answers to your questions about the four-legged icons of the New Forest. Suitable for all, one mile walk, dogs welcome on leads, no booking required.
Friday, 17th April
- Brockenhurst Village Hall, Film night - The Biggest Little Farm (PG), 7.00pm - 10.30pm.
The Cinema is in the Forest Hall. The doors open at 7.00pm and the evening programme begins at 7.30pm. After a short film or two and a trailer for the next film, there is an interval when you can chat with friends while enjoying a glass of wine, ice creams, coffee, tea, cake etc. before settling down to watch the main film.
There are many farms in the New Forest but none of them are quite like this farm. This documentary observes two dreamers and their beloved dog as they make the choice to leave their tiny LA apartment and go into the countryside - to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind, in complete coexistence with nature. We follow their almost decade long attempt to create the utopia they seek, planting 10,000 orchard trees, hundreds of crops and bringing in animals of every kind, including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. The film explores the ideas of self-sustenance in the face of ever growing big industries. Inspirational for our times.
Buy your tickets online via the What's On section of the Village Hall website, from the Village Hall office (Monday - Friday 9.00am - 1.00pm), or from Pot Pouri. Tickets are also available on the door for £6.50.
Saturday, 18th April
- Burley Village Hall, Model Railway Exhibition, 10.00am.
Longer running events
Saturday, 11th January to Sunday, 8th March
- New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst, New Forest Camera Club Exhibition, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
A collection of framed photographs taken by members of the New Forest Camera Club - landscapes, plants, wildlife and people. The majority of the images have been taken within the New Forest National Park, and capture the essence of this beautiful area. Free entry.
Friday, 24th January to Sunday, 22nd March
- St. Barbe Museum, Lymington, Jeremy Gardiner - South by Southwest: an exhibition of coastal landscapes, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Jeremy Gardiner has spent the last five years exploring locations on Britain's south coast. This seaside odyssey has resulted in a new body of work that captures coastal landscapes from Kent to Cornwall. Gardiner has taken his inspiration not only from the natural world but from popular views of the coastal landscape in travel posters, guide books, postcards and ViewMaster reels which will also be featured in the exhibition.
Gardiner's work reflects a deep interest in the geology of landscape and how it is shaped by the forces of nature. His working method involves creating distinct layers of colour by building accretions of paint, collaging, scouring and sanding down in an attempt to emulate on the surface of the paintings, the effects of geological time on the terrain.
Admission with gift aid - Adult £6, Concession £5, Family (up to two adults and up to four children) £12, Child (under 16) £3. Without gift aid - Adult £5.45, Concession £4.55, Family £10.90, Child (under 16) £2.70. Under 5s free. National Art Pass holders free.
Friday, 14th February to Sunday, 8th March
- New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst, '22 Miles of Sea' exhibition, 10.00am - 3.30pm.
This pop-up exhibition captures the moving, entertaining and often profound tales of people and places from the Waterside stretch of the New Forest too often regarded as separate to its history and culture. In Autumn 2019, working in partnership with the New Forest Heritage Centre, Forest Forge Theatre Company invited residents in four communities to share photographs and stories expressing the area's fascinating and diverse history. This exhibition celebrates and shares their memories and experiences all brought together by playwright David Lane. Free entry.
Saturday and Sunday, 7th and 8th March
- Brockenhurst Village Hall, New Forest Painters Spring Exhibition, 10.00am - 5.00pm.
If you are interested in art and love the New Forest then a visit to the New Forest Painters Annual Spring Exhibition will not disappoint. Six artists with very different styles and techniques gather annually to display their work produced over the last twelve months. The theme of the exhibition is the New Forest with its ancient woodland, wild heaths and a coastline over-looking the Solent. This provides a never ending source of inspiration and the diversity of painting styles and the subjects chosen by the artists create an exhibition of great variety.
A popular addition to the exhibition has been the inclusion of a small collection of works produced in other parts of Britain during painting trips. The artists are Barry Peckham ROI RSMA SEA, Richard Tratt SWLA SBA, Hilary Tratt, Barry Miles, Peter Frost and Alan Langford.
The collection of detailed nature studies, fine miniatures, bold watercolours, carefully composed studio paintings and works produced out of doors directly from nature are all a part of this exciting exhibition.
Saturday, 14th March to Tuesday, 31st March
- Exbury Gardens, Lachenalia and Orchid Exhibition, 10.00am - 5.00pm.
See the UK's eminent collection of lachenalias, plus a fantastic selection of orchids in the Five Arrows Gallery.
Spearheaded by Nicholas de Rothschild, Exbury's lachenalia exhibition has substantially grown in size over the last few years, most recently by the acquisition of the late Bill Squires' National Collection. Also included in the exhibition will be a stunning collection of orchids, grown in Exbury's glasshouses.
Tickets: Free with gardens admission or Friends of Exbury annual membership.
Saturday, 14th March to Sunday, 31st May
- New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst, 'Art of the New Forest and South Downs' exhibition, 10.00am - 4.00pm. (Starts at 12.00 noon on 14th March and finishes at 12.00 noon on 31st May).
John Welsh is a professional artist from Hampshire. He works in oils and specialises in landscapes and portraits. His style is expressive and realist and his inspiration comes from the South Downs and the New Forest. Free entry.
Friday, 27th March to Sunday, 26th April
- St. Barbe Museum, Lymington, 62 Group - Conversations: People, Places, Materials, Objects, 10.00am - 4.00pm. The 62 Group aim to incorporate and challenge the boundaries of textile practice through an ambitious and innovative annual programme of exhibitions. We are delighted to welcome them to Lymington for the first time. Since its establishment, the 62 Group has been able to count some of the most highly regarded British textile artists as its members.
This exhibition will be built around a series created especially for us by Emily Jo Gibbs called 'The Boat Builders', portraits of apprentices working at the Berthon Boat Company. This will be accompanied by member's work exploring the working relationship that artists have with the world around them and in particular artwork that investigates the creative dialogue that takes place between the artist/maker and the themes: people, place, materials, objects.
Admission with gift aid - Adult £6, Concession £5, Family (up to two adults and up to four children) £12, Child (under 16) £3. Without gift aid - Adult £5.45, Concession £4.55, Family £10.90, Child (under 16) £2.70. Under 5s free. National Art Pass holders free.
Saturday, 4th April to Sunday, 19th April
- Discovery Days at Bolderwood, 10.30am - 3.30pm. Take part in seasonal activities at Forestry England's Bolderwood Information Unit. Free of charge event, suitable for all, dogs welcome on leads, no booking required.
Sunday and Monday, 12th and 13th April
- Burley Village Hall, Craft Fayre, 10.30am - 5.00pm.
Saturday and Sunday, 25th and 26th April
- Burley Village Hall, Craft Fayre, 10.30am - 5.00pm.
- Brockenhurst Village Hall, Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta.
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** New Forest ponies and other animals**
Sadly, 58 animals were killed - 35 ponies, 13 cows, 8 donkeys and 2 sheep, whilst a further 32 were injured - 3 pigs, 9 donkeys, 11 cows and 9 ponies.
(Forty-three accidents occurred in daylight, 15 at twilight and 101 in the dark. Twenty-seven accidents were not reported by the driver involved).
Here's just one horrific example - Three donkeys killed in collision with van at notorious New Forest blackspot (Advertiser and Times)
** Always take care when driving **