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 NFCDA. You don’t need to be a commoner to join as an Associate member.
About Commoning
About the New Forest Commoners Defence Association
Explore what we do
Commoning year
December
The shortest days
December sees the final sale of the year of New Forest ponies at Beaulieu Road Pony Sale. Commoners will have been out across the Forest catching the last few mares and foals in preparation for the sale. Many ponies are not caught on the drifts and commoners will go out alone or in small groups to catch individual ponies.
In some years the acorn crop is heavy and commoners with the right of pannage are given an extension to continue turning their pigs out, this occasionally lasts until New Years Day. Commoners on the Crown lands, with a sow in pig, can also apply for a licence to continue turning her out so long as she returns home each night to sleep.
Latest News
Watchdog charity appeals for help with New Forest byelaws survey
4th August 2022
Conservation charity - Friends of the New Forest - have launched a survey to monitor and record breaches in the New Forest byelaws and are calling on volunteers to help collect ... READ MORE
22-year-old man convicted after a fatal collision with foal
28th April 2022
Ben Hanlan, of East Grange Drive in Leeds, was convicted after the Volkswagen Polo he was driving collided with a foal nearby to Beaulieu Road between midnight on Friday 27 August ... READ MORE
Objection to an application to record three restricted byways near Ringwood
25th February 2022
We have objected to an application to record three byways in the parish of Ringwood. The application was based on three sites: Bagnum Lane SU1734 0272 to Kingston Great ... READ MORE
Applications open to work for The Foundation for Common Land
1st February 2022
Applications are now open for two new roles as landscape recovery test and trial facilitators. The roles are located in The New Forest and The Malverns. Salary - : £36,000 ... READ MORE
Salt licks now in place along Roger Penny Way
13th January 2022
One of the New Forest’s most infamous roads for animal accidents (Roger Penny Way), has been given the go-ahead to trial off-road salt licks in a bid to help grazing animals ... READ MORE
A parasite found in dog faeces has been attributed to several cows aborting their calves
4th January 2022
Last summer, Commoner Tom Gould turned 38 cattle out to graze on the New Forest. The majority of those at the time were in calf. By the Autumn, when the cattle were taken back to ... READ MORE
New Forest Livestock Society – 2022 Provisional Sale Dates
14th December 2021
The New Forest Livestock Society (NFLS) have confirmed their provisional dates for the 2022 sales to be held at Beaulieu Road Sale Yard. The dates are as follows: ... READ MORE
NFCDA response to the New Forest National Park Draft Partnership Plan
28th September 2021
ℹ️ The NFCDA Committee have responded to the New Forest National Park consultation on their emerging Partnership Plan. We hope that the feedback we have provided is ... READ MORE
Helping to spread key messages !
23rd July 2021
Great to see the new #keepyourdistance signs up and in action :-) You asked… so we listened! This has been fantastic a joint initiative, with funding from the Verderers and ... 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
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