Welcome
Discover the real New Forest – an incredible living, working landscape, shaped over centuries by the animals that graze it, and the people who own and care for them – the “commoners”: Ordinary people, with ordinary jobs, but with an extraordinary commitment. If you want reliable, straightforward answers to your questions about the New Forest and prefer fact over folklore then this is the site for you. Please do explore. We’ve included more information than ever before. If you know what you’re looking for then do use the Search button above to go straight to the right place. You can also support us by applying to join the CDA. You don’t need to be a commoner to join as an Associate Member.
Listen to the our “Commoning Voices” display audioguide
About Commoning
About the Commoners Defence Association
Latest News
New support for the New Forest Commoning Community
21st March 2021
In a new initiative championed by ExxonMobil Fawley, some of their land on the edge of the New Forest, has been rented to to young commoners at a reduced rate. The full press ... READ MORE
Forestry England Property to rent for active commoners
3rd February 2021
Following Ministerial Approval of the New Forest Housing Review earlier this year we are delighted to confirm that the first letting of vacant properties is now ... READ MORE
NFCDA response to the consultation on the allocation of land on the New Forest Common for the Basic Payment Scheme
30th January 2021
Final NF BPS Consultation Jan21 READ MORE
ELM and Commons: What does the Future Hold?
9th December 2020
Commoners are welcome to sign up for a free one-hour session on ELM, hosted by the Foundation for Common Land and Federation of Cumbrian Commoners. The webinar will ... READ MORE
Job opportunity: trial facilitator
2nd December 2020
DEFRA ELMS Test and Trial – A Commons Delivery Model • Do you have a good understanding of Commoning, farm support schemes and rural issues in the New Forest? • Are you a ... READ MORE
Consultation on the allocation of land on the New Forest common for the Basic Payment Scheme
30th November 2020
Background Up until 2005 subsidies were related to agricultural production, in the case of cattle this was paid through Suckler Cow Premium and Beef Special Premium for ... READ MORE
The New Forest code
29th July 2020
The Commoners Defence Association has come together with New Forest organisations to launch a new code to help protect our landscape, livestock and wildlife. The New Forest ... READ MORE
Securing our history & heritage
10th July 2020
Fascinating accounts of commoning life have been brought together in a new collection of memories and photographs. Through Our Ancestors’ Eyes features the stories of 20 ... READ MORE
Our Unprotected Landscape
18th May 2020
We’ve all learnt a lot from the coronavirus lockdown. The extent to which people will voluntarily help complete strangers in a time of need has been hugely reassuring when there ... READ MORE
“Don’t delay!” CDA message to ministers
15th May 2020
This week the Agriculture Bill gave MPs their first taste of online voting for a major piece of legislation on 13th May. It sailed through, despite much debate over a future trade ... READ MORE
Commoning year
New Forest Mare & FoalApril
Time to inspect colts in the stallion "passing", while the foals by the previous summer's stallions start to arrive on the Open Forest
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