Some Spring Pictures...
The garden has been shedding it's winter coat and bursting in to a gorgeous array of spring colour...

Red Deer Rut 2014
The Annual Red Deer Rut is an awe inspiring thing to watch. There are few places in the whole country that you can watch these wild animals (Britain largest land mammal) battle it out - this part of the New Forest is one of the best!

At New Cottage you have a ring side seat as you'll often hear primeaval roars from the surrounding fields. A quiet stroll in to our paddock can give you a view of two massive beasts locking antlers.

This year was no exception as one of the larger males (see right) took up residence and, looking at the number of ladies he had in attendance, seemed to be doing very well for himself!

A Welcome Visitor...
One of the Commoners* had one of their older Forest Ponies in foal and so asked whether we could keep an eye on her in our paddock. It was with great pleasure we woke one morning to find a new addition, "Charlie" finding his feet with mother by his side.

Update... They are both now back on the open forest and seem to be doing well. Hopefully Charlie will pop over for a carrot when he's passing!

* Commoning has been a way of life in the New Forest since medieval times, and became official in the mid-16th century.Whilst it no longer provides a living, it is continued by many simply because it is a traditional way of life in the forest. Commoners are those who occupy land or property to which privileges known as ‘rights of common’ are attached, which includes the right to graze stock on the Open Forest.