The New Forest Commons

About The Bramshaw Commons

The Bramshaw Commons are some 1422 acres, lying to the north east of the New Forest, comprising some of the best lowland heath in the country, with woodland, bogs and grass lawns providing a valuable habitat for many rare plants and animals. This very extensive network of manorial wastes and commons on the periphery of the New Forest includes Cadnam and Stocks Cross Greens, and Black Hill, Cadnam, Furzley, Half Moon, Penn and Plaitford Commons. Bramshaw is particularly important for birds such as woodlarks, nightjars and Dartford warblers, as well as dragonflies.

The manorial wastes, usually heathland, provided the commoners with timber, fuel and other useful commodities. Today they represent the best surviving example of lowland heath and mire in Europe, still managed by the common grazing of ponies, pigs, donkeys, cattle and sheep.

In addition, with the aid of volunteers and National Trust staff, invasive Scots pine and rhododendron have to be cleared regularly to prevent them taking over the open heathland. Also, to renew the gorse, burning and cutting takes place.

Of interest are two Bronze Age Cairns on Plaitford Common, and a twin-bowl barrow on Furzley Common.

The Bramshaw heaths and mires are among the most important in the New Forest. The flora is very rich, and includes large populations of pennyroyal and small fleabane. Long-leaved sundew, Marsh St. John's wort and Bog asphodel occur in the mires. The dry heaths are particularly good for Dartford warbler and woodlark. The invertebrate fauna is extremely rich: the rare fairy shrimp occurs in a seasonal pool, there is an impressive list of solitary bees and wasps, and rare bugs and weevils inhabit the bogs. There are some rare deadwood beetles along the wood pasture fringes, and standard heathland butterflies such as grayling, green hairstreak and silver-studded blue occur. The commons also provide a habitat for the scarce blue-tailed damselfly, raft spider and grasshoppers.

What sort of jobs do we do at Bramshaw?

Over the past year few years our main task on these sites has been to help with the scrub management of this site, with the cutting of silver birch, rhododendron, Scots pine and gorse.

We have also worked regularly with the Blackwater Conservation Group to help with the removal of Himalayan Balsam along the river Blackwater.

About The Ibsley and Rockford Commons

The National Trust owns 1342 acres (543 hectares) of the Ibsley and Rockford Commons, which it acquired as part of a New Forest Life II Project. The New Forest Life Partnership is a joint project between the National Trust, English Nature, Forestry Commission, Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Verderers of the New Forest, Ninth Century Trust, New Forest Committee and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Half of the funds for any project or purchase come from the European Union. As the commons have some fine examples of heathland species, the management of the site reflects this, as it will concentrate on bracken control, gorse and heather management, rhododendron removal, the prevention of further pine and birch encroachment, and mire restoration.

What sort of jobs do we do at Ibsley and Rockford?

Our involvement in this site is much the same as the other New Forest sites. We have been helping with the scrub management of this site, and with the cutting of silver birch, rhododendron, gorse and Scots pine. We have also helped with ragwort pulling and litter picking.

About Hale Purlieu

Hale Purlieu, comprising 500 acres, lies on the northern side of the historic royal hunting ground of the New Forest. This former manorial waste is still grazed under the traditional commoners' rights, and is made up of dry and wet heath, mires and scrub. Forming a plateau at approximately 350ft above sea level, it offers attractive views across the open forest. The plateau has typical heathland flora and fauna, while the valleys are wet heath and mire. Its management is similar to Bramshaw, concentrating on gorse, birch, rhododendron and bracken control.

Heathland plants include dwarf gorse, purple moor grass and Bog asphodel, with two types of sundews, Marsh St. John's wort, meadow thistle and two species of cotton grass occurring in the wet heath. Birds such as Dartford warbler, nightjar, snipe, stonechat and redshank can be seen, and many insects, including the Black Darter dragonfly, inhabit the ponds and streams.

Millersford Plantation, leased to the Forestry Commission, includes Corsican and Scots pines, and there are some mixed woodlands of oak, holly, birch and beech. Great spotted woodpecker and woodcock can be seen. Of historical interest are some old boiling pits (for heating stones to warm food or for saunas) and some prehistoric barrows.

What sort of jobs do we do at Hale Purlieu?

We do not visit this site regularly but over the past year few years our main task at Hale Purlieu has been to help with the gorse and scrub management of this site.

About Foxbury Plantation

Foxbury is a 350 acre site which sits at the eastern end of the Forest and was acquired by the National Trust in 2005. At that time it was a conifer plantation and the Trust’s aim has been to restore the site back to lowland heathland and reconnect it back with the rest of the New Forest.

Since then a large majority of the pine trees and invasive rhododendron have been removed, leaving the native broad-leaved trees, and allowing the gorse, heather, wild flowers, native trees and shrubs to re-establish.

Along with establishing lowland heathland, 18,000 trees have been planted on the site, to create native broad-leaved woodland and ensure a sustainable future for Foxbury.

What sort of jobs do we do at Foxbury?

Since the National Trust acquired the site in 2005, we have helped to clear rhododendron, gorse and pine trees. In winter months, we have planted a range of native tree species and in summer have mulched newly planted trees and repaired tree guards. We have also cleared ragwort where needed.