Vacations Blog

There is plenty to do when you visit Moors Valley country park and it is a fabulous day out for all the family. Entrance to the park is free of charge but you do have to pay for car parking. Attractions in the park incur an additional cost. Parking your car in the enormous parking area is a maximum of £8 for the entire day. Pretty good value for money really when you consider that you could easily spend the whole day in the park.

After parking your car in the spacious well hidden woodland car park and you enter further into Moors Valley you can breathe in the beauty of this country park – it really is lovely. The visitors centre is on approach to the park and this is a well blended 18^th century barn that includes a restaurant and gift shop.

Close by to the 18^th century visitors centre you will find a large play area for small and bigger children. Its spacious and very safe. Parents can help and watch their children from a safe distance and rest a while, while the children burn off their excess energy.

The station to the steam railway is located just behind the Visitors Centre. The steam train journey begins and ends here. The railway ranks up as one of the best steam railways in the country. The journey lasts for about 20 minutes and passes through some tunnels and tours around the park and lake.

An energetic way to get around Moors Valley if it something that suits you and your family is to hire a bike. Often you wish you had one of those bike carriers on your car – well here at this park you can hire one from the many available in the hire store. There are miles and miles of well mapped cycling paths here and it’s a great way to see the beauty of the park.

Moors Valley is the place to go if you wish to experience some tree top high wire acts. It is one of the homes of Go Ape, a tree top high wire experience for the over 12’s and reasonably fit, adrenaline thrill seekers. It lasts for about 2 hours and is very popular so pre booking is essential.

The play trail is an absolute must for the children. There is some marvellous wooden play equipment spread throughout the whole trail and this in itself can take a couple of hours and the children have little realisation of how far they are going around the park because they are having so much fun on all the play features.

After a day out at Moors Valley Country Park you can be sure that the entire family will have lots of fun. You can return to your New Forest holiday accommodation after having a fun filled, energetic, packed day and knowing that all will sleep extremely well that night.

If you fancy a rest the next down the city of Southampton is also only a short drive away and you can find information on the Southampton website

If you every come to the South Of England on a vacation then you simply must not miss a trip to the New Forest area, the newest national park in the UK and One of the Worlds Heritage national park sites.

The idea for national parks first started in the United States and one of the first world national parks was Yosemite of course.

Since that time many other countries have adopted this way of protecting and preserving the un-spoilt habitats of the world for future generations and for the preservation of endangered species as well.

The New Forest has a few endangered species itself but nothing like the American bald eagle that is now increasing in numbers due thankfully. The forest is home to a wide variety of species from bats to toads, the deer and the free roaming New Forest pony.

Centuries and centuries ago the New Forest was to all intents and purposes open land but then one of the kings on of the day decided to make it a royal forest only to be used for the royal pursuit of hunting, and local folk who had lived off the land for centuries found themselves unable to hunt the land for food to feed their family, penalties for contravening the law were severe and in later time fatal.

Fortunately over time sanity prevailed and today you will find many animals wandering the forest grazing as the local “commoners” exercise their right to graze their live stock on the common ground.

Other forests around the world have massive and very old species of trees, and although the forest cannot boast trees like the giant redwoods, the New Forest is still one of the oldest forests in the UK with the oldest resident oak being circa 400 years old.

Tourists and visitors to the area will have a host of activities they can pursue on their visit here apart from the ever popular New Forest walks of course. Mountain Biking and road cycling are extremely popular as is Pony trekking where riders have unlimited (in most cases) access to the forest as long as they abide by the rules.

If you are having a family holiday the Park has a number of really olde worlde family friendly New Forest Cottages you can rent and if you have a penchant for the quaint then you will just love the old thatched roofs and if your lucky gardens that literally take you out into the forest from your back door.

If you prefer the outdoor lifestyle then the forest has a number of designated campsites with and without facilities so you can enjoy New Forest campsites the easy way or the hard way , the choice is up to you.

One of the most popular areas of the New Forest has to be the picturesque Village of Beaulieu which is actually part of a massive 7000 acre estate (by UK standards) estate belonging to the Montagu family who’s ancestors have owned the land and property since the early 1500 after the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII.

Part of the estate is used for the National Motor Museum which must rank as one of the best museums of automotive history in the world with exhibits that span motoring history not only by age but also by achievement as a number of land speed record breakers are exhibited here.

There is also the Abbey to visit which whilst not to much to see these days still gives you an idea of the grandeur and power of the church in early British history.

The now Beaulieu Palace house itself was originally the gatehouse to the abbey here although it has been subsequently extended.

Tourists to this part of the country often miss out on other natural attractions in the area so don’t restrict your visit just to the New Forest area, because not to far away either by motorway or across country you can find some of the UK’s best beaches. They are even building the northern hemisphere’s first artificial ref here as well for the local surfing community so if you like to surf you can try it out UK style.

Poole in the County of Dorset is not only famous for having one of the worlds largest harbours, but also for the number of famous people who live here, and one particular area has the most expensive house prices in the whole of England, still. That is simply one of theh crosses.

In summary I think that no-one would argue that the New Forest and the English south coast make perfect partners, and is a great destination for a family vacation

Within the New Forest three is really is something for all. There are miles of cycling trails, walking/hiking trails, boat trips along the coast considerable museums and historical sites to visit. There are 134 car parks open from March to November dotted all over the forest.

To ensure you get to see the absolute best and beauty of the New Forest it is a good idea to take up one of the many guided tours that are available within the Forest. The choice is yours and what your preference might be but experienced Forest Rangers offer tours either cycling, walking or horseback. This is a way to ensure you capture the entire beauty of the forest.

Within the forest, things happen throughout the year. No matter when you are visiting this fabulous National Park there are always experienced Forest Rangers and guides to take you through the wonders and beauty of the park. There are also a few good websites you can visit so you can make the most of your trip here.

Of course the New Forest is steeped in history and if you would like to hear about some historical news about the places you are seeing during your walk then there are many guides that can offer this throughout the tour as well, and details are normally available at the tourist information centres that can be found around the forest.

The visitors centre has information and ideas for travellers visiting the park, and the town itself is where Alice Lidell, inspiration for Alice in Wonderland lived. With the forest’s many miles of coastline and rivers, there are many aquatic attractions to be seen as well. Water sports such as kayaking may be enjoyed, along with boat trips from which one can see many historical sites.

Throughout the park you can experience many wonders of nature and animal species. During just a short walk through any part of the forest you will come across considerable species in their own natural habitat. It’s a marvellous experience to see animals and creatures in their own environment.

Horses, ponies, cows, pigs, swans, ducks, deer are all in abundance within the New Forest as are birds, frogs and reptiles. At night bats might be seen. There are further various managed animal centres throughout the forest also. The New Forest has all amenities available.

There are considerable walks throughout the forest, many marked and guided and many that are not. It’s always wise to have a map, especially if you like to head off the main track. Exbury although not a forest walk but is a lovely place to visit, with its gardens set in 200 acres, there are miles of lovely pathways to experience here.

If your planning a trip to the New Forest National Park and plan to stay over night there is a good variety of New Forest cottages in the region where you can stay which can be found on the New Forest guides website.

Also while you are in the area make sure you visit the nearby city of Southampton which is renowned for its shopping experience and museums.