New Forest by Motorhome

The first time a New Forest pony walks past your motorhome window at seven in the morning, entirely unbothered by your presence, you understand why this national park is unlike anywhere else in England. Motorhome hire for the New Forest from our Pontefract depot puts you in 219 square miles of ancient woodland, open heathland and quiet villages, with over 3,000 ponies and donkeys roaming freely across the landscape. It is one of the most accessible national parks in the country for a motorhome break - gentle roads, excellent campsites, and a pace of life that rewards slowing right down.

Getting to the New Forest from Pontefract

The drive takes around four and a half hours. Head south on the M1, pick up the M25, then take the M3 toward Southampton before joining the A31 into the heart of the forest. Lyndhurst, the unofficial capital, is roughly 250 miles from our depot. The last stretch along the A31 through open heathland, with ponies grazing beside the road, is a fine introduction to what lies ahead. A New Forest motorhome hire break works well even for just four or five days - the national park is compact enough that you can base yourself at one campsite and reach everything by road or trail.

Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and the Forest Villages

Lyndhurst sits at the centre of the park and makes a natural first stop. The New Forest Museum on the high street gives a good overview of the forest's history, from its origins as a royal hunting ground under William the Conqueror to its role today as a working landscape of commoners, livestock and ancient woodland. The village has a good range of pubs, tea rooms and independent shops.

Brockenhurst, a few miles south, is arguably the prettiest village in the forest. Ponies drink at The Watersplash on the main street, donkeys wander through the centre, and the surrounding woodland is threaded with trails. Lymington, on the southern edge, is a handsome sailing town with a Georgian high street, a busy harbour and a Saturday market. The Wightlink ferry to the Isle of Wight departs from Lymington - the crossing takes 40 minutes and accepts motorhomes, making it easy to combine both destinations in a single trip.

Free-Roaming Ponies and Wildlife

The ponies are the defining feature of the New Forest and something you will encounter daily. Around 3,000 New Forest ponies and several hundred donkeys graze across heathland, woodland and village greens, with right of way on all roads. Drive slowly, especially at dawn and dusk. Never feed them - they can bite and kick, particularly mares with foals. Cattle and pigs also roam freely during certain seasons under ancient commoning rights.

Beyond the livestock, the forest supports fallow, roe and sika deer, birds of prey, rare reptiles on the heathland, and an exceptional variety of woodland birds. The Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary has a viewing platform overlooking a clearing where fallow deer are fed daily, and early mornings along Ober Water are reliable for spotting roe deer moving through the trees.

Walking and Cycling

The New Forest is outstanding for both, with hundreds of miles of trails through woodland and across open heath. The Tall Trees Trail near Blackwater winds through towering redwoods and Douglas firs - a surprising landscape for southern England. The coastal path from Lymington toward Keyhaven offers views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Cycling is particularly popular, with dedicated off-road gravel tracks that are flat, well-surfaced and suitable for families. Bikes can be hired in Brockenhurst and Burley, and you can cover the forest without sharing roads with traffic.

Beaulieu, on the eastern edge, is home to the National Motor Museum with over 250 vehicles from veteran cars to Formula One, plus the Victorian gothic Palace House and its grounds. It makes a good rainy-day option or a half-day visit for families.

Where to Stay - Campsites and Parking Rules

New Forest motorhome camping is well catered for. Hollands Wood near Brockenhurst is a Forestry England site set among mature oak and beech trees, with around 200 pitches and electric hook-ups on some. Setthorns, also Forestry England, is quieter and set in open heathland near Brockenhurst with around 170 pitches. Both operate seasonally from approximately March to September and book up early for summer. Red Shoot Camping Park near Linwood has 95 pitches with electric hook-up and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Hurst View Leisure near Lymington has views across the Solent and is within walking distance of the town.

Overnight parking outside designated campsites is not permitted in the New Forest National Park. Forestry Commission car parks do not allow overnight stays, and forest rangers enforce this actively. Always use an official campsite. Booking ahead is essential for summer weekends and school holidays at the Forestry England sites.

Your Motorhome for the New Forest

Our fleet includes 2-berth, 4-berth and 6-berth Elddis motorhomes. The compact 2-berth Autoquest CV80 is well-suited to the New Forest's narrower lanes, while the 4 and 6-berth Evolutions give families space to spread out after a day in the forest. Several vehicles are dog-friendly - the New Forest is excellent for dogs, with miles of open heathland and woodland trails. Prices start from 135 pounds per night.

Roads within the national park have a 40 mph speed limit, and many forest lanes are single-track with passing places. Our motorhomes handle them without difficulty, but take your time and watch for animals at all times. For a full list of what to bring, our motorhome packing checklist covers everything you need.

The New Forest sits within easy reach of other destinations. The Dorset and Jurassic Coast begins around 30 miles west, with dramatic cliffs, fossils and coastal walking. Winchester, the ancient capital of England, lies 20 miles north and is worth a morning for the cathedral alone.

From Pontefract, motorhome hire to the New Forest gives you one of England's most beautiful national parks with outstanding campsites, gentle roads, and ponies that make every morning feel like an event.