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Have you ever wondered why the New Forest exists and how the animals came to be free roaming? Let me take you back in time to unravel the fascinating and storied history of the New Forest. So, lace up your walking boots and prepare a cup of tea, for we are about to delve into the lush, historical tapestry of this magnificent region. Centuries before the name “Hampshire” entered the history books, the New Forest was already a thriving centre of activity. Its roots extend over a millennium to the year 1079 when King William the Conqueror ordered the creation of a ‘new hunting forest’ for his royal amusement. In the realm of ambitious landscape projects, this one certainly stands out, spanning over 566 square kilometers. For generations, the New Forest served as a playground for the aristocracy. Kings and queens, nobles, and the upper echelons of society flocked to this verdant landscape to indulge in their favorite pastime: hunting. The dense woodlands and expansive heaths provided the ideal backdrop for their aristocratic pursuits. In the 18th century, a significant transformation took place. The inhabitants of the nearby villages, known as ‘Commoners,’ were granted ‘Commoners’ Rights,’ entitling them to graze their livestock and collect firewood from the forest. This tradition continues to this day, and you will still witness the sight of ponies and cattle roaming freely around the forest. World War II cast its shadow upon the New Forest. This area played a pivotal role in preparations for the D-Day landings. The forest served as a training ground for military exercises, and it was from these very shores that thousands of troops embarked on the journey to Normandy. Remnants of this wartime history, such as concrete bunkers and tank traps, remain visible in the forest - as well as craters as the area was heavily bombed. Hurst Castle is an interesting visit for this era. The New Forest is not just a repository of history but also a thriving ecosystem. With its ancient woodlands, heathlands, wetlands, and grasslands, it stands as a haven for wildlife. Keep an eye out for the iconic New Forest ponies, fallow deer, and a multitude of bird species. The region’s flora, featuring rare orchids and vibrant heather, is equally enchanting. In the spring, the vibrant yellow of the Gorse gives way to the purple heather in Summer and Autumn. Today, the New Forest holds the status of a National Park and ranks among the UK’s most cherished natural landscapes. It appeals to history enthusiasts and nature lovers alike and offers an escape from the pace of modern life. Whether your interests lie in hiking, cycling, horseback riding, or simply taking a serene stroll, the New Forest has something for everyone. There you have it—a whirlwind tour through the history of the New Forest. It’s a place where bygone eras harmonize with the present, where diverse wildlife thrives, and where stories are etched into every tree and blade of grass. Should you find yourself in Hampshire, consider diverting your path to the New Forest, allowing its tales of royalty, commoners, and the wonders of nature to transport you to another time.

* (AFF) This post contains affiliate links, I may receive a commission for my recommendation. Please see my disclaimer page for more information. When the British weather is great, it's really really great, as good as any destination abroad. When we have those periods of prolonged rain it can make caravanning miserable. It's still absolutely possible to play and do activities outside with appropriate clothing - waterproofs and wellies are a must for the caravan packing list. Vinted is a great place to buy reasonable priced spares to keep inside the caravan. For days when hibernation is the only option, I have listed all of our tried and tested ways to keep everyone entertained in a confined space so that even the gloomiest of days can still make fun memories for all. Playing Cards Playing cards are such a diverse and compact way to keep entertained. There are games that even small children can get on board with. We've created some free printable game rule sheets* to keep in your caravan. (*coming soon) You can purchase specific sets like this one, containing 'Go Fish', 'Old Maid' & 'Happy Families' Compact Games With space at a premium, these games take up very little space. We consider UNO a caravan staple, it’s well worn & easy to play if you can agree on the rules! Dobble is recommended from 6+ & is a matching game with speed. 5 Alive is a fast paced card game in a similar style to UNO where you have to keep the running total under 21, recommended for ages 8+, lose 5 lives and you’re out. Tripe Tongue Twisters is also recommended from 8+, beat the tongue tie to win the set. What would you Choose? is a ‘would you rather‘ type game with 500 silly and funny dilemmas to choose from, it says age 5+ but it is dependent on being able to read, buddy a non-reader up with a reader to include younger ones. Exploding Kittens is a funny card game, where you avoid the exploding kitten cards at all costs by using defuse cards and all manner of other avoid tactics, silly and funny game for older kids, its recommended from 7+. Travel Pictionary needs no introduction, this is a handy compact card version. The Muddles is another card based game, combine animals together, the rarer the combination the more points it’s worth, recommended from age 6. Table Top & Board Games - younger children (under 7) For younger children, these games don’t require too much strategy & are relatively easy to play on a table top in the caravan. Connect 4 can be played over and over again, recommended from 6+ as long as your child understands 4 in a row it’s definitely playable by younger children. Pop up Pirate & Jenga style games rely on a steady hand. The Gruffalo Deep Dark Wood recommended from age 3, roll the dice to help the mouse get home. Monopoly Junior is recommended from age 5 and is a classic family favourite. Kids vs Parents is recommended from age 6, 2 sets of cards one for parents and one for kids sets questions kids vs parents. Table Top & Board Games - older children (over 7) Any of the games in the younger children section above are great for older children too. The Best of Kids is a mini board game of fun trivia questions, recommended from age 7. Bananagrams is another favourite, create anagrams from tiles pitching against each other, its compact with everything stored within the banana. Articulate, Rummikaub, Headbanz is a game based around ‘who am i?’, you wear a card on your forehead using a headband and ask yes/no questions to solve your own card. Storage With space at a premium, these A4 sized zip bags make an ideal storage solution to boxed games. Camping Bingo Fun for all ages, both readers and non readers can take part. Why not try our free printable playing cards which are, of course, camping themed. Make friendship bracelets You can buy a ready made kit or just the bracelet string, perfect for if the weather isn't good enough to be outside & at the end of the holiday they make a really good parting gift to exchange.

* (AFF) This post contains affiliate links, I may receive a commission for my recommendation at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclaimer page for more information. Catching crabs is an activity which is relatively low in cost and is suitable for all ages. Even the really young can get involved as it's so simple to do. Lymington is one of the best places to do some crabbing, Mudeford is also a good place to try it out. How to crab… You’ll need some tools, you can expect to pick up a crab line for around £2.50 from a local shop, the nets are around £5.50 and the bait is around £1.00 which makes this quite inexpensive. If you want to pre-order the equipment, these are the types of things you can use. Multi-packs are often cheaper if you need more than one set. One crab line or net per person and a bucket between two would be more than enough equipment, however, if your children tend to argue, a net and a line each is a good idea! For bait, bacon and sausage meat is the best type and yields great results. Pop it in the bag provided and mash it up so that it’s not sitting in a lump. To attach the bag to the line, the metal L shaped hook goes into the drawstring bag & which ties up tight & won’t allow the metal to come back through. You might even find eels or fish instead. To hold the crabs, gently pick them up from behind to avoid getting pincered! Kindness always, make sure they are treated well whilst within your care and return them gently to the water once your crabbing adventure is over. Have fun!

Moors Valley is a brilliant place for a family day out, there really is something for everyone. Moors Valley is extremely dog friendly, you won’t be able to take them on the Steam Railway or Go Ape but they’re welcome on the play trail, cafe, gift shop etc. On arrival, your numberplate is scanned using ANPR barriers, you’ll be charged on exit for car parking which is quite expensive but for the play trail alone, worth it. Go Ape is on site, as well as suspended cargo nets for climbing in the Nets adventure, these are at extra cost and pre-booking is advised. Segway is also available, again, pre-booking via the website is advised. Nets Adventure age requirement is low at 1yr+. The Ice Cream shack has a comprehensive selection of flavours, sundae combinations & pre-packaged ice lollies. The Cafe, within the main building sells coffee, cake and a good selection of lunch foods. Only food purchased in the cafe can be eaten inside the cafe, however, there is no shortage of picnic facilities. The play trail is one of the activities which sets Moors Valley apart from other New Forest activities, along a well thought out trail are multiple wooden play structures to break up a walk & keep little ones engaged. There is no time limit on how long you can spend on each one & these are at no extra cost. The trail is suitable for pushchairs and most mobility scooters. Seats and picnic tables are scattered throughout. Half way along the play trail is the Tree Top Trail, 5 metres high & winding through the trees, the gradual climb and handrail throughout makes it accessible for most abilities and ages but not suitable for wheelchairs. Moors Valley Railway is a miniature steam railway which run on a loop between Kingsmere Station and Lakeside Station for more details, see their website Also available at Moors Valley - Cycling Trails, Walking and Fitness Trails, Golf Course, Cycle Hire, Ranger Den, Hawk Walks, Fishing, Moors Lake Audio Trail, Mindfulness Audio Trail & Laser Tag Moors Valley Country Park & Forest website can be found here

What3words: ///requested.nothing.abroad Website: www.butcombe.com Disclaimer: The content of this post is independent and has not been compensated in any way. Opinions are my own. We only recommend pubs and restaurants that we would visit again. The High Corner Inn is a hidden gem, it’s located in the middle of no-where so even when it’s busy, it doesn’t feel busy. The garden, which is of good size and has plenty of seating, has a fenced off play park for children to play. Under the Butcombe Brewery group of pubs, there is a good selection of drinks & the staff are knowledgeable when making suggestions. There is a good selection of food for both adults and children with generous roast dinners, haddock and chips and a well put together burger with all of the trimmings. Inside, the pub is full of character with plenty of indoor seating too. Tables are bookable online through the Butcombe website for convenience. Well worth a visit.

What3words:///pigs.enable.afflicted At the end of Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, across the A35 is a truly stunning part of the New Forest - the Knightwood Oak, Bolderwood Aboretum Ornamental Drive, Bolderwood and Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary. Along Bolderwood Aboretum Ornamental Drive are several car parks, the Knightwood Oak is the first car park. The next car park along is Woosons, followed by Barrow Moor. From both of these car parks you can walk for miles in either direction, these car parks are not as busy as Bolderwood which is at the top of the hill & is one of the busiest spots in the New Forest due to the facilities and the proximity to the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary viewing platform. Bolderwood has a large grass field adjacent to the car park which is perfect for picnics, kite flying or for kids to run around. More often than not, Bolderwood has an Ice Cream van parked. There are also often ponies hanging around the car park and field. Next to the car park is a public toilet which gets heavy use in the summer. The Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary Viewing Platform overlooks a meadow where the deer frequently gather, its not a guaranteed spot. There are some rare colourings, so I am told but I have never seen one - maybe one day! The viewing platform is not far from the car park, down a slight hill which makes it reasonably accessible, but not fully. Bolderwood is one of the most popular spots in the forest and it's east to see why!

What3words:///premiums.dramatic.respected The Queen's Head in Burley is also regular haunt for us, there is a great little garden outside the back overlooking the car park and entrance to the Mall & you can sit outside the front and watch the world go by. The car park is frequented by horses and ponies who like to hang about. Online table booking is a must, the app is really easy to use and confirms straight away. You can add things like high chairs and any other requests. If you're bringing your dog, tell them in advance because they accommodate in a certain part of the pub. The Queen's Head is a Chef and Brewer pub, part of a chain & they accept Tesco Clubcard vouchers which means you can trade in 50p of vouchers for £1.50 to spend in the restaurant (redeemable on food only) although this is soon to change to 50p for £1.00 to spend, Tesco fault, not the pub! There is a wide range of choice on the kids menu: pasta and meatballs, hand-battered fish, rump steak, beef burger, sausages in gravy, fish pie, veggie lasagne, crispy chicken strips, moules mariniere, chicken burger and plant based sausages. You can mix and match these with sides - perfect for any picky eaters. For pudding, I have never seen a chocolate brownie disappear so fast. For the adults, there is a comprehensive drinks menu with quite a few alcohol-free options which is great for those who are driving or just don't want to drink. On the main menu, you can find all of the usual classics like gammon with rum and cola glaze, beef pancetta and red wine lasagne, seafood grill, chicken and ham hock pie, hand battered Atlantic cod. There is a choice of 4 types of steak with sauces and sides. The staff are friendly and accommodating, interacting with kids at the table which is a nice touch. All in all, a solid choice for a good pub meal, but book in advance to avoid disappointment, especially during the summer months.

* (AFF) This post contains affiliate links, I may receive a commission for my recommendation. Please see my disclaimer page for more information. We've got a 14 and 8 year old now, we started caravanning when our youngest was a baby so we've covered all age ranges, some twice. I am a STEM ambassador, so will try to cover a bit of that in here too. Here are my recommendations for activities or toys for use in the campsite, outside of the caravan. Build something Instructions on how to build a bug hotel can be found here, at the Woodland Trust. They've also got some ideas of things to do when visiting woodland. Build a water clock with instructions from Nat Geo Kids. Build a DIY Sundial with instructions from Science Sparks. Build a stick fort with tips from Childhood by Nature. Forest scavenger hunt Keep kids engaged whilst walking, teaching about the many wonders of the New Forest. Why not try our free printable and tick them off as you go. Camping Bingo Fun for all ages, both readers and non readers can take part. Why not try our free printable playing cards which are, of course, camping themed. Geocaching Geocaching is great fun & is a great way to explore. It's effectively a worldwide treasure hunt. Free to sign up & apps can be downloaded. https://www.geocaching.com/play Letterboxing is also similar to Geocaching and there are far more in the New Forest. Bubble guns These provide hours of fun and we find them to be a great ice breaker - kids come from all over to join in the bubble fun. We have these from Amazon. Walkie Talkies I've never met a kid who doesn't love a walkie-talkie, just mind who is on the same frequency as your child because someone may be on the same frequency within range. Even better when they find a friend in a nearby caravan & can speak to each other. We have these ones from Amazon. Bike riding or scooting This one speaks for itself, our kids spend hours doing laps of the campsite. Our newest fun addition are bike lights for the wheels, we have these ones. Go Crabbing Lymington or Mudeford offer the best crabbing locations, click here. Stargazing When we camp in the countryside, we're also losing quite a bit of the light pollution that affects stargazing. Why not pair a telescope with a book or an app to go and spot some constellations or some satellites? Other outdoor games sets Things like Boom Ball, Swing ball, Ring & Beanbag Toss, Sticky Darts, flying a kite & Skittles are always a popular choice. Waterfight Depending on the weather, a waterfight is a great way to cool off. Water pistols are our weapon of choice because we find the water balloons may be harmful to the animals of the New Forest. In the dark Glo-sticks are really good fun in the dark, wear them or make things out of them, this is a good quiet end of the day activity. Have some fun by sticking them to clothes and dancing.

Please use this in the spirit that it has been created, it is intended to be free printable for individual and personal use. Keeping children engaged whilst on walks around the New Forest, learning about nature along the way. Tick them off as you go. Enjoy!

Please use these in the spirit that they have been created, they are intended to be free printables for individual and personal use. Bingo is great for all ages, readers and non-readers alike. You can re-use these time and time again by using something fun for the markers, like marshmallows, chocolate coins, jelly beans or other individual sweets. Enjoy!

* (AFF) This post contains affiliate links, I may receive a commission for my recommendation. Please see my disclaimer page for more information. Our current caravan is the Swift Challenger 565 SE. Following the problems we had with our Lemon Caravan, we decided to try a dealer & thank goodness we did. Our 2013 van arrived with a huge damp patch across the back end ceiling, as it was during the COVID shut down and it was quite some distance, we bought remotely and they delivered it to us. Thankfully we located the problem very quickly & the person delivering took it straight back to be fixed. The problem was later identified as being a crack along the top corner, a manufacturing defect which was fixed with added corners and sealed. They replaced the wall board inside and all was right with the caravan. We love this caravan, the layout works well for us, the fixed beds are really useful during the day to either sit or lounge on, almost like extra seating space. Underneath the beds, which are liftable on gas struts, is an amazing amount of storage, accessible from the outside via a locker on the one door side. At the front of the caravan are two sofas which convert to a double bed. The drawers provide more handy storage and a small self contained table which extends by half again. Above the sofas are two large lockers, one with integrated car stereo. In the middle, it has a well equipped kitchen with a full domestic size under counter fridge with an integral freezer, enough for several packs of ice lollies! There is also a fitted microwave and full oven, the 4 ring hob counts an electric burner in its number which is really useful if you don’t want to use gas. As part of the kitchen, the worktop extends over the sofa with a drop leaf. There are two plugs in the backlit backsplash & an under counter LED strip light. Opposite the kitchen is a full height wardrobe, with drawer and cupboard underneath. We use a hanging wardrobe shelves to get more from the storage, for shoes or blankets, otherwise things can get piled up in there. Between the living space and the twin beds there is a sturdy partition which draws across for privacy. We have a fixed single bed on each side of the caravan, these double as extra sitting space during the day. You can lift them up to reveal great storage underneath, there are gas struts installed so they aren't too heavy. On the door side, the under bed storage compartment is accessible from the outside through a lockable panel, the same as the front bed. Above there are 5 eye level lockers and a space for the TV to be mounted next to a plug and arial socket. Finally, at the back there is a full width end washroom. The shower is a good size and there are a couple of cupboards for toiletry storage. My favourite part of the bathroom is the towel rail, part of the Alde heating system which has made our caravan usable all winter, even on the coldest of days. All windows and doors have full fly screens which is perfect in the summer. The Swift Challenger 565 SE is a single axle caravan, at 2.26m wide and 7.24m shipping length its not the largest caravan but the interior is well thought out and it feels bigger than it really is. When compared to our 6 berth lemon, the storage space is far superior in the Swift. The MIRO is 1400Kgs and Max allowable weight is 1553Kgs giving a payload of 153Kgs. The van is equipped with solar panels to top up the battery. It's a great caravan with a very comfortable amount of living space.

What3words: ///astounded.tutorial.represent The Rufus Stone is an iron clad stone located close to the village of Minstead. It is said that it was placed to mark the spot where William Rufus, the third son of William the Conqueror, was shot and killed in a hunting accident on the 2nd August 1100 AD. William Rufus was King William II, known as Rufus for his red hair and ruddy complexion. He was an unpopular king with his subjects due to the way that he treated them & he alienated many of his noblemen. It is said that the residents of the New Forest must have hated and feared him. Much speculation has taken place amongst historians over what happened, but the most commonly accepted version of the story is that William Rufus found himself alone with Sir Walter Tyrrell, they both spotted a stag, Sir Walter fired an arrow which deflected from a tree trunk and struck the king in the chest, killing him instantly. The original stone was erected in 1745 by John Lord Delaware, although it was replaced in 1841 by the stone which stands today. The original oak tree is also long gone but there is one close-by, perhaps a descendant. The location of the Rufus Stone is an ideal base for walking with open forest woodland walks and lush green fields. There is a convenient car park just across the road which makes it accessible for all to enjoy.