The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in New Forest National Park Hampshire, England

The New Forest National Park is truly unique. It’s a ‘world capital’ for wildlife with a huge diversity of rare plants and animals– one of the reasons why it was made a National Park in 2005. A place of outstanding natural beauty, the unique landscape is shaped by the grazing of ponies, cattle and pigs that roam freely. These animals may appear wild, but they are owned by people called commoners. One of the last places in southern England to offer a sense of wildness and tranquillity, it’s a wonderful area to explore on foot, horseback, or by bike. Indeed William the Conqueror, who set aside the ‘New Forest’ for hunting more than 900 years ago, would probably recognise much of it today.

New Forest Activities provides you with fun and enlightening outdoor experiences. Perfect for getting active in the New Forest National Park. We provide activities for a wide range of people and organisations. Our activities are perfect for Individuals, Couples, Families, Team Building Events, Stag & Hen Parties, Kids Birthday Parties and Social Events. We also run custom programmes for youth organisations and schools. Activities include Battlefield LIVE infra-red combat games, Canoeing & Kayaking on the Beaulieu River, Cycle Hire, Archery, High Rope Adventures, Bushcraft and Team Building Challenges.

We are a large Country Park & Forest offering approximately 1000 acres of managed woodland and Country Park to explore. We have miles of mapped walking and cycle routes, two large adventure play areas, over a mile and a half walking route with numerous large woodland play stations to stop at, cycle and mobility scooter hire, model steam railway, golf and pitch & put, restaurant, staffed information point & Visitor Centre, disabled and baby change facilities at two large toilet blocks, Go-Ape and Segway hire, Ice-cream sales and visitor gift shop. If that is not enough to keep you busy, we have an array of activities throughout the year including, pond dipping, Ranger Den, Nordic walking. Admission is per car, and you need to know your number plate to pay at the paystations - at the end of your visit. See you soon.

Located in Minstead, Hampshire, in the heart of New Forest yet just off the end of the M27, this informal 10 acre woodland garden contains an extensive collection of rare and beautiful plants from around the world. In the spring, banks of Azaleas and Rhododendrons dazzle with colour, secret paths lead through drifts of primulas and bulbs to quiet glades, while viewing areas provide outlooks over the New Forest. Flowering shrubs and trees continue the interest through the summer with a blaze of autumn colour at the end of the year.In the water garden flowering and foliage plants thrive both in and out of the lake, enhanced by a collection of conifers.Our award winning Chelsea Garden has been wonderfully recreated overlooking the lake after winning GOLD at RHS Chelsea in 2012.The waterfall leads into our reinstated water meadow.The gardens are wonderful for children. The shady play area has play houses, swing and even a "dry docked" play boat. There are plenty of places to picnic and play hide and seek. The gardens also hold a secret, there are over 30 tiny fairy doors hidden throughout the garden. Our wildflower meadow and cottage garden are great for spotting wildlife and you can take a step back in time when you enter our historic Furzey cottage. Delicious locally made cakes and sandwiches are available in the Gallery Gift and Coffee Shop, which has plenty of seating inside, comfortable sofas upstairs and a pretty outside terrace overlooking the gardens. Browse the Gallery Gift and Coffee Shop which showcases and sells a variety of local art, crafts and gifts including work undertaken by the students from the Minstead Training Trust. Those visitors who like to go home with a souvenir of the leafy variety will enjoy looking around our plant sales area where plants are very competitively priced. The Gardens are open all year round, and the Gallery Gift and Coffee Shop is open from the beginning of March to the end of October 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm (last orders at 4.15pm). The Gallery Gift and Coffee Shop is free to enter and browse and enjoy a coffee, cake or light refreshment. Entry to the Gardens is by a set minimum donation, please pay in the Gallery Gift and Coffee Shop. When the Gallery Gift and Coffee shop is closed please place donations in the box provided. The entry donation goes towards the upkeep of the gardens and to the work of the Charity in providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Located within the New Forest National Park, Hurst Castle is situated on the seaward end of the shingle spit that extends 1.5 miles from Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire. Built by Henry VIII as a chain of fortresses to protect the Solent in 1544, this is the site where Charles I was imprisoned in 1648 before being taken to his trial and execution in London. The castle was modernised during the Napoleonic wars and again in the 1870s when the enormous armoured wings were added, making it the largest coastal fort in the world. Two of the huge 38-ton guns installed in the 1870s can be viewed in their casemates together with other weapons developed through 412 years of military use. During World War II, Hurst was manned with coastal gun batteries and searchlights. You can get to Hurst Castle by ferry from Keyhaven Quay (sat nav postcode: SO41 0TP) or you can walk along the shingle Hurst Spit. The castle is currently closed, however refreshments are available from outside the castle.

There's farmyard fun for the whole family at Longdown Activity Farm. Join in with a daily schedule of hands-on activities such as bottle-feeding kid goats and calves, duck feeding, and the Animal Encounter Barn where visitors can hold chicks and meet a variety of small animals - sometimes even Kunekune piglets. There are lots of larger, friendly animals to meet too. Whatever the weather, there is lots of playtime adventures to be had in the indoor and outdoor play areas which include the Straw Den and Trampoline Barn and the soft play area (these areas are currently closed following goverment guidance) When ground conditions allow, don't miss the fabulous bumpy tractor and trailer ride. No hidden extra costs for our daily schedule of activities. Make sure you visit the Longdown Farm Shop for delicious locally sourced food - a taste of the New Forest.

Starting from Milford-on-Sea, this is a two-mile walk alongthe coast, ending at Hurst Castle, an ancient monument open year 'round, with a cafe. A ferry runs from the village of Keyhaven from Easter through summer months.

Sammy Miller MBE is a motorcycling legend, 11 times British Champion, winner of over 1400 events and still winning competitions more than 50 years after his first victory. The Museum houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world, including factory racers and exotic prototypes, with the collection constantly evolving as new bikes are acquired. There are over 400 rare and classic motorcycles on display in four galleries - one of which showcases the fabulous Norton Collection. The museum is set within an attractive courtyard, with tea rooms, craft shops and children's play area. It is also home to many chickens, donkeys, goats, alpacas and two aviaries.