Slow New Forest: Local, Characterful Guides to Britain's Special Places - Emily Baker

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Résumé :
This guide is part of the Bradt series that embraces the Slow Tourism movement, and encourages visitors to slow down and discover for themselves the often hidden and unsung delights of one of the most unspoiled and varied of English counties. The New Forest, where horses and cows regularly force traffic to stop and donkeys stop to peer in shop windows in some villages, is ideally suited to a Slow guide. The forest landscape is extremely varied, from the towering trees that line the Boldre wood and Rhine field Ornamental Drives; to the dense forest and miles of open moors stretching between Burley and Brocken hurst. The coastal roads by Buckler's Hard and the little-known East End have a completely different character, just a few miles from the heart of the forest. The villages of the New Forest have distinct characters: Lymington, the market town with a yachting flavour; Brocken hurst and Beaulieu, where animals regularly parade on the high streets; Burley, with its unusual link to witchcraft and Fording bridge, a charming small town on the banks of the Avon. Author, Emily Baker outlines the workings of the New Forest, how agisters maintain it and verderers look after commoners' grazing rights. Interviews with local saddlers, thatchers, organic butchers and farm shops bring the book to life. It explores a wide range of activities including walking, horse-riding and cycling, sailing and kayaking, as well as its diverse accommodation and food options, from farm stays to luxury hotels, farmers' markets to gourmet pubs. Each chapter covers a different locale and features the author's personal selection. The New Forest is highly accessible to overseas visitors just a couple of hours from London by train, bus or car.