History Menu
Use the sub-menu below for selecting the periods in history
A synopsis:
- The Rights of the Commoners are re-affirmed; the Verderers now have allegiance to the Commoners, not the Crown;
- The picturesque nature and ecological value of the New Forest is recognised; considerable damage is done to the Forest in support of the war effort;
- The Forestry Commission is formed; the respective duties of the Commission and the Verderers are clarified.
| 1877 Victoria |
Birch above Akercome Bottom
It recognised the amenity value of the Forest, and the maintenance of its picturesque character. It clarified the powers of the Crown - abolished the "rolling powers", declaring that no more land could be enclosed in excess of that enclosed in the reign of William III and subsequently i.e. 16,000 acres at any one time. It protected Commoner's Rights - stock could be turned out all year. Prior to this Common Rights only extended to about 5 months of the year. Commonable stock could not be depastured in the Winter Heyning (22 Nov-4 May) so as not to compete with browse for the deer, and in the Fence Month (20 Jun-20 July) when fawns were born. In customary practice, these were never strictly enforced but after the Deer Removal Act, the Crown began to enforce the removal during these periods. It re-constituted the Court of Verderers as representatives of the Commoners, to protect their privileges; the Verderers ceased allegiance to the Crown. The management of grazing Rights were to be financed largely by marking fees of depastured stock. |
| 1878 | Four Agisters were appointed. Principal duties were: marking stock turned out in the Forest, and collection of marking fees; impounding animals illegally depastured; general welfare of the animals. |
| 1883 | The New Forest Highways Act ensured that the Crown put old tracks and roads into good condition, and built & maintained new roads. |
| 1891 | The Association for the Improvement of the Breed of the New Forest Ponies was founded, principally to improve the quality of stallions in the Forest. They also organised races on Balmer Lawn. |
| 1903 Edward VII |
The first death of a commonable animal in a road traffic accident, at Brook. |
| 1909 | The New Forest Commoners Defence Association was formed. It represented the Commoners in friction generated by the impounding of animals straying out of the perambulation. |
| 1910 | The New Forest Flying School was formed at East Boldre. |
| 1914-1918 George V |
Pollarded beech in Vinney Ridge.
Vinney Ridge was once the site of a heronry but the herons moved on after the felling of beech at the site. According to Wise, there were 50 nests in 1861 and "an incessant clamour was going on, and under the trees lay great eels which had fallen from their nests". |
| 1923 | The Forestry Committee was made responsible for the management of the Forest. The New Forest ceased to be a Royal Forest - it was now a State forest |
| 1926 | Gypsies were placed into seven compounds - the largest were at Shave Green and Thorney Hill. Previously, they could roam the Forest but had to move on every 48 h. |
| 1938 George VI |
The New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society was founded - no outside blood was permitted in Registered New Forest ponies (Verderers now control depasturing of stallions). |
| 1939-1945 |
Large fragments of the inert filling of a
bouncing bomb, Black Gutter Bottom. The Ashley Walk bombing range was used to develop and test the "Upkeep" and "Highball" bouncing bombs in World War 2. To evaluate the casing and fusing system, inert bombs (filled with a composition of sawdust, cement and grit) w ere launched towards a large 90' long wall located on the ridge behind the fragments. This specimen presumably missed. |
| 1940 | The first grey squirrels were observed in the Forest. |
| 1947 | Following the physical damage and administrative problems arising from the demands on the Forest of the war effort, the New Forest Committee was formed. Its role was to investigate the state and condition of the New Forest, and recommend methods to adjust to modern requirements. |
| 1949 | New Forest Act. The Act established a new Verderers' Court and increased their numbers from 6 to 10. It redefined the qualifications to be an elected Verderer. It made the Forestry Commission legally responsible for drainage of the Forest and maintenance of the grazing (previously the responsibility of the impecunious Verderers). It gave the Verderers the power to make and alter Bye-Laws. The Forestry Commission was allowed to enclose up to 5000 acres for timber (subject to the permission of the Verderers, and payment). These became known as the "Verderers' Inclosures". The Act empowered the Forestry Commission to make temporary enclosures (up to 20 acres) within some of the Ancient and Ornamental woodland, for restoration in face of the decline of the trees. The Forestry Commission were given the duty to prepare the "Atlas of Forest Rights". Powers were given to fence the A31 road (Ringwood-Cadnam). The Ministry of Agriculture was given the authority to approach the Verderers to plant up to 3000 acres for cultivation and improvement of grazing. |
| 1953 Elizabeth II |
The "Atlas of Forest Rights" was published. It is a map showing the specific Rights of Common attached to individual plots of land; it is retained at the Verderers Court in Lyndhurst. |
| 1959 | With the agreement of the Verderers, 2,000 acres of open forest were enclosed to provide fresh plantation and grazing (under the 1949 Act). |
| 1962-3 | The A31 was fenced. Approval was obtained to grid and fence the perambulation. |
| 1963 | The most recent perambulation of the Forest; it was the first formal perambulation to be mapped. |