New Forest Commoners Defence Association - Step with us into the Real New Forest

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

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About the New Forest Commoners Defence Association

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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

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

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

New Forest code July 2020

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

Driving Dalgetty's cattle through Fordingbridge. © Peter Harrison

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

Parking erosion of SSSI in Lockdown

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

All change!

27th February 2020

Tony Hockley, CDA Chair 27th February 2020 The Government has now offered more clues regarding post-Brexit agricultural and environmental policies. These will be made possible ... READ MORE

What’s the New Forest done for us?

18th November 2019

The past three years have given ample time for Britain to think about what a break from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could mean for the countryside and nature. Could the ... READ MORE

Commoning year

New Forest Mare & Foal

May

The first foals beging to arrive, progeny of the stallions selected and turned out last summer. One of the year's two "welfare tours" take place, with a range of national and local organisations setting out in buses from the Verderers Court to assess the condition of the herds around the Forest.

AT the Beaulieu Road saleyard the Spring sale is held.