Ashurst

Ashurst sits right on the eastern fringe of the New Forest, strung along the old A35 between Southampton Water and Lyndhurst, with the railway line to Brockenhurst and Bournemouth running through its own small station. It is a working village rather than a picture-postcard one, but that is part of its appeal: proper pubs, a post office, a scattering of shops, and New Forest ponies that amble along the verges as if they own the place, which in a sense they do. Step off the main road and you are almost immediately into open heath and mature oak woodland, part of the Crown land that makes the New Forest one of the last great expanses of unenclosed countryside in lowland England.

What makes Ashurst distinctive is how quickly it delivers you into the forest proper. Within a few minutes' walk of the village centre you can be among grazing ponies, deer, and the free-roaming pigs that appear each autumn during pannage season, when they are turned out to eat fallen acorns that are toxic to the ponies and cattle. The village has grown up as a genuine gateway settlement, its identity shaped as much by forestry history and commoners' grazing rights as by tourism, which gives it a groundedness that some more manicured New Forest villages lack.

Top things to do in Ashurst

Ashurst punches well above its size for family days out, largely thanks to two long-established attractions right on its doorstep, alongside the open forest itself.

• New Forest Wildlife Park — Around two miles from the village, this 50-acre park set in ancient New Forest woodland specialises in British and once-native wildlife, including otters, owls, deer, foxes, wildcats and harvest mice, and is a leading centre for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured wild otters.
• Longdown Activity Farm — A hands-on family farm a couple of miles from Ashurst, on the edge of the National Park, where children can bottle-feed goat kids, meet calves, feed ducks and handle chicks in the Animal Encounter Barn.
• New Forest ponies and pannage — The semi-wild ponies that graze the verges and open heath around Ashurst are one of the defining sights of the National Park; every autumn commoners also turn out pigs onto the forest floor for pannage season.
• Walking and cycling into the open forest — Ashurst is a genuine gateway village, with footpaths and cycle routes leading straight from the edge of the village into heathland, bog and ancient woodland without the need for a car.
• Ashurst railway station — A useful, car-free way to explore further afield, with direct trains along the New Forest line to Brockenhurst, Beaulieu Road and on to Bournemouth or up to Southampton and London.
• Paultons Park — The large family theme park, home to Peppa Pig World, lies a short drive north-west of Ashurst and makes a popular day-trip combination with a forest stay.
• Southampton Water and the coast — Ashurst's position on the eastern edge of the forest puts Southampton, its docks and the Solent within easy reach for a change of scene from woodland to water.

Getting to Ashurst

Ashurst New Forest railway station sits on the South Western Railway line between Southampton and Bournemouth, with regular direct services making it one of the easiest New Forest villages to reach without a car; the station has no ticket office, so tickets are bought from the machines on the platform. By road, Ashurst lies just off the A35 between Southampton and Lyndhurst, close to the M27, making it a quick run from Southampton or the wider motorway network. The Bluestar 6 bus also runs between Southampton and Lymington via Ashurst on an hourly basis, dropping to a two-hourly service on Sundays. Southampton Airport is only a short drive away for visitors arriving by air.

Best time to visit Ashurst

Spring and early summer bring fresh green woodland canopy, foals with the New Forest ponies, and long daylight hours for walking and cycling. High summer is understandably the busiest period, when the wildlife park, activity farm and forest trails are all in full swing and school holidays fill the local campsites. Autumn is arguably the most atmospheric season, with turning leaves in the ancient woodland and pannage season sending pigs out across the forest floor to hoover up fallen acorns. Winter is quieter still, with crisp walks across open heath and the woodland stripped back to its bones, though some visitor attractions reduce their hours out of season, so it is worth checking opening times before travelling.

Where to stay in Ashurst

Ashurst's accommodation ranges from village pubs with rooms to campsites set directly among the New Forest's oak woodland, making it a good base for visitors who want to be inside the forest rather than just visiting it for the day. The village's position on the railway line and close to the A35 also makes it convenient for those splitting a trip between the forest and Southampton or the wider Hampshire coast. For a longer stay, self-catering cottages and B&Bs in and around the village put New Forest walking, cycling and wildlife-watching within easy reach.

Food and drink in Ashurst

The village has three pubs, giving visitors a proper choice of New Forest hospitality: The New Forest, a large Fuller's pub and restaurant near the station with an extensive seasonal menu, a big garden overlooking the forest and a play area for children; The Happy Cheese; and The Forest Inn. Along the main road through the village there are several further options, including a Chinese and English takeaway, a traditional fish and chip shop, an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant and takeaway, a bistro, and a sandwich bar, along with a Post Office and newsagent for provisions.