Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst has always welcomed visitors. From 1079, when William the Conqueror established his ‘Nova Foresta’ as a royal hunting preserve, kings and queens and their courts came regularly to stay on the royal manor and Lyndhurst took its place naturally as the ’capital’ of the New Forest.

History

The mounds of Bronze Age round barrows around Lyndhurst are signs of early settlement in the area.  The name Lyndhurst is thought to be of Saxon origin and means ‘lime-wood’. The recorded history of Lyndhurst began in 980, when it was a royal manor granted to the Abbey of Amesbury in Wiltshire.

Things to see and do

At the western end of the High Street is the ancient Court of Verderers, the oldest building in the village, which dates from Norman times and deals with matters concerning the New Forest’s ancient commoning system.  The court is attached to The Queen’s House, once a royal hunting lodge and now the headquarters of the Forestry Commission.   

Not far away you will find the parish church of St Michael and All Angels, adorned with Pre-Raphaelite art including murals and stained glass by Morris, Burne-Jones and Lord Leighton. In the churchyard is the grave of Alice Liddell, Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Other historic buildings in Lyndhurst include the picture-postcard almshouses and the little church at the nearby village of Emery Down, while the ‘old Park’ is where the Parkhill Hotel now stands.  Half a mile away is the picturesque village of Swan Green, a hamlet of Tudor cottages set around a village green.

In the centre of Lyndhurst you will find a number of traditional shops and convenience stores as well as gift outlets, restaurants, pubs and tea shops.  

Bolton’s Bench is a popular visitor spot and is a good place to see the New Forest ponies and other livestock.  There are lots of beautiful walks to enjoy in the area, either on the heathland of the open Forest or in the ancient woodland.