Veals Copse

A patch of proper New Forest woodland that most visitors completely walk past. Veals Copse sits just outside Lyndhurst and rewards the people who actually stop and spend time threading between the ancient oaks and beeches rather than rushing through to somewhere "bigger". The forest floor is thick with moss and leaf litter, the kind of place where you genuinely hear birds instead of traffic.

It's a solid choice for walkers wanting an hour or so of genuine woodland without the crowds you'd find at busier New Forest spots. Kids will do well here if they're the type to hunt for fungi or scramble over fallen logs - but don't expect play equipment or facilities. There's a genuine quiet to it that either appeals completely or leaves you cold.

The nearest campsite is Ocknell, barely a couple of kilometres away, which makes this a natural companion to a New Forest holiday. You could combine it with bigger attractions at New Forest National Park further out, but Veals Copse works better as a morning or late afternoon wander before heading back to camp. No entrance fee that we can find, and no fixed hours either - it's just forest you walk into.

Best visited in autumn when the light filters properly through the canopy, or in late spring when the woodland floor bursts into life. Summer can feel a bit airless between the trees.