Plan your stay
in The New Forest
Here's how our team (and a few of our favourite local faces) spend their time here.
Explore the New Forest from THE PIG
Our original PIG sits right on the edge of the New Forest National Park - ancient woodland, open heathland and winding trails in every direction, with the village of Brockenhurst just down the lane. Within a short drive (or an even shorter cycle) you'll find stately homes, sailing villages, wild coastline and some of Hampshire's best-kept secrets.
ponies, pathways and everything in between
Step outside and the forest more or less begins. Free-roaming ponies, donkeys, cattle and deer wander wherever they please, and the trails through ancient woodland, heathland and open fields are ready for anything from a gentle wander to a proper stomp. If the weather turns, borrow a pair of our wellies and carry on regardless - some of the best forest days are the wet ones.
Fancy seeing some of the oldest trees in the forest? Head to the Ornamental Drive at Rhinefield, a 12-minute drive away, where towering firs and redwoods dating back to the 1850s line a gently gravelled loop - about two miles, with plenty of good picnic spots along the way (and usually an ice cream van waiting at the other end).
The forest is made for two wheels
And so we've partnered with Cyclexperience, just up the road in Brockenhurst, to make it easy.
Push bikes can be delivered straight to THE PIG - just book online and give the team 24 hours' notice, and they'll have it ready the evening before or by 10am on the day.
Staying with us? Check your confirmation email for a discount code.
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Prefer some electric assistance?
E-bikes need a short induction, so these are collected directly from Cyclexperience's shop in the village - a lovely way to cover more ground without breaking a sweat.
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Not sure where to ride?
Cyclexperience have mapped their favourite forest routes - ancient woodland, quiet heathland and a pub garden or two along the way. If you'd rather leave the route-planning to someone else, they also run guided cycle tours through the forest for those who want a local's eye on the best of it.
Local villages
When you fancy stepping out of the forest for a while, these are the villages we'd point you towards.
Brockenhurst Just down the lane
A proper New Forest village with a handful of independently-owned shops, cosy tea rooms and a running ford at the bottom of the high street. Keep an eye out for the donkeys, who have a habit of wandering onto the high street entirely unannounced.
Head towards Lymington from the village and you'll pass Setley Ridge - a farm shop, small vineyard and The Daisy Tea Garden, all worth a stop for something delicious to take home. A little further along, Pig Beer - a family-run micro-brewery started on an old pig farm by two brothers and a cousin - has its own tap room and beer garden (and you'll find their beer on our bar menu too, if you can't make the trip).
Lyndhurst The forest's unofficial capital
Independent shops, tearooms and Boltons Bench, a short climb up to sweeping views across the landscape below. It's also a great spot to pick up a bike and a coffee before heading straight into the trees.
Beaulieu Small village, big days out
The National Motor Museum, Exbury Gardens' 200 acres of woodland and a walk or cycle along the marshes to Buckler's Hard, with a well-earned pint at The Master Builders waiting at the other end.
Lymington A proper working market town
Cobbled streets down to the Old Town Quay, more ice cream vendors than you'll know what to do with, and kayaks for hire if you fancy getting out on the water.
It's easy to forget how close the sea is from here.
Milford-on-Sea is a scenic, still slightly under-the-radar pebble beach with views of the Needles and Hurst Castle - walk the Hurst Spit from here for one of the best coastal walks in the area. Highcliffe and Calshot are both worth the detour too, each with their own stretch of coastline and a good spot for fish and chips at the end of it.
If you've a full day to spare, the Isle of Wight is a short ferry ride from Lymington or Southampton - and if you're catching the ferry from Southampton, it's worth popping into THE PIG-in the wall for a drink on your way through.
garden & grounds
Some days, the best plan is no plan at all. Our Kitchen Garden is at the heart of the house - wander through, see what's in season, and catch our gardeners at work (or join their free tour, every morning at 11am). Order something chilled, find a sunny spot, and let the rest of the day take care of itself.
How can we help?
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All PIGs
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THE PIG
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THE PIG-at Bridge Place
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THE PIG-at Combe
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THE PIG-at Groombridge
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THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay
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THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
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THE PIG-in the South Downs
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THE PIG-in the wall
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THE PIG-near Bath
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THE PIG-on the beach
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THE PIG-on the farm
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The Village Pub
Plan Your Visit
Getting Here
THE PIG is tucked just outside Brockenhurst, right in the heart of the New Forest. Easy to reach by train from London Waterloo in under two hours, or by car with plenty of ponies to greet you on arrival.
