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Museum
New Forest Heritage Centre
Free museum on the Forest's history, commoning and ancient laws; its 7.5-metre New Forest Embroidery shows 1079 to 1979.
Directions Website Report a problem with New Forest Heritage Centre
A mini guide to
Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst
The Forest's two main villages, the ornamental drives, the Knightwood Oak and the Rufus Stone
Photos
1 / 5Welcome to the area
The Forest's two main villages, the ornamental drives, the Knightwood Oak and the Rufus Stone
Lyndhurst is known as the capital of the New Forest: the district council and the ancient Court of Verderers sit here, the latter in the King's House. The New Forest Heritage Centre explains commoning and Forest law, and the brick church of St Michael and All Angels, where Alice Liddell is buried, stands on a mound above the high street.
West of the village, the Bolderwood and Rhinefield ornamental drives run through tall conifers to the Knightwood Oak, Bolderwood's veteran trees and the Blackwater arboretum. Brockenhurst, about 4 miles south, has the main railway station. To the north lie Minstead, where Arthur Conan Doyle is buried, and the Rufus Stone.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Church
Church of St Michael and All Angels, Lyndhurst
Victorian brick church with a fresco by Frederic Leighton and Morris and Burne-Jones glass; Alice Liddell is buried in the churchyard.
Directions Report a problem with Church of St Michael and All Angels, Lyndhurst
Viewpoint
Bolton's Bench
Small hill and viewpoint at the east end of Lyndhurst; local folklore says it was once the body of a dragon.
Tree
Knightwood Oak
Forestry England calls this 500-year-old oak the largest and most famous in the New Forest; it stands by the Bolderwood Ornamental Drive.
Woodland
Bolderwood
Arboretum with Douglas firs dating back to 1860 and veteran trees in ancient woodland, with waymarked walks and cycle trails.
Arboretum
Blackwater Arboretum
Arboretum trail on the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive with trees from around the world, giant redwoods and sensory sculptures.
Directions Website Report a problem with Blackwater Arboretum
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Use the car parks
Forestry England charges for its car parks from 20 April 2026; parking is allowed from 4am to 11pm. Do not park on verges or in gateways.
2
No more deer feeding at Bolderwood
Forestry England notes there is no longer a deer sanctuary or feeding station at Bolderwood, though you may still see deer in the woods.
3
Keep your distance
Do not feed or touch the ponies, keep dogs under close control, and give foals and protective mothers plenty of room.
4
Leave the barbecue at home
Fires and barbecues of any kind, including disposable ones, are banned on the open Forest.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst
Photo credits
- Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst (area photo): Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- New Forest Heritage Centre: Bryn Holmes, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Church of St Michael and All Angels, Lyndhurst: Charlesdrakew at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Bolton's Bench: Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Knightwood Oak: User:MalcolmGould, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bolderwood: Clive Perrin, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Blackwater Arboretum: Roman Hobler, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wilverley: Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rufus Stone: David Hunt, Public domain, source
- Furzey Gardens: Gillian Moy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- New Forest Wildlife Park: J W Parker, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Burley: nick macneill, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Beaulieu and Lymington: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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