If ever a place was misnamed, this is it. The New Forest was already old and partially cleared before William the Conqueror took it under royal control as a huge game reserve. Today it still covers over 200 square miles, and is one of the south of England 's principal escapes for tourists and locals alike. There are still large areas of forest, especially around the main town of Lyndhurst , but equally there are wide expanses of scrubland and gorse. Deer still roam, but are not as numerous as the famous New Forest ponies, which can often be seen ambling through villages and grazing on roundabouts.

On the edge of the forest is the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, which houses more than 250 cars from land speed record holders, to famous cars from the movies.