NEW FOREST & SOUTH DOWNS

摘要

The New Forest was surely one of the more obvious candidates to be designated as a national park, but its status was not confirmed until 2005. The 140,000acres to the west of Southampton has been an area of importance since William the Conqueror designated it a royal forest and, even today, the unique home to over 5,000 ponies, 3,500 cattle and numerous donkeys and pigs makes it special. While some serious roads cross the forest and traffic is a problem, the residents who roam and graze freely are fully aware of their priority and exercise their freedoms without constraint.