The National Park's special qualities

A unique historic cultural and archaeological heritage

From royal hunting ground, to ship-building, salt making and 500 years of military coastal defence.

The cultural landscape of the New Forest has developed continuously from prehistoric times to the present. A wealth of features have survived to indicate this long use by human society, including more than 340 Bronze Age barrows, a number of fine Iron Age hill forts and many Roman pottery production sites.  

Throughout the area there are numerous remnants of medieval and later buildings, enclosures and other earthworks associated with the royal forest.  The main rivers supported a boat and shipbuilding industry and the coastal salt workings were among the most important in the country during the 18 century.  

The National Park has 214 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, constituting almost 10% of all scheduled monuments in the south east region, together with many important unscheduled sites.