Fall in love with the New Forest

William the Conqueror fell in love with the New Forest when he made it his royal hunting ground, so why not come and fall for the Forest yourself and treat that special someone. Whether you’re an old married couple looking to relax, a young couple looking for a romantic escape or if you’re just looking to spend some quality time away from the pressures of life, the New Forest has it all.

As England’s newest National Park, the New Forest is the perfect choice for romantic breaks; whether you’re looking for a romantic short-stay mini break or for a longer holiday to fend off the winter blues, there’s plenty or as little to do as you like.

Picture the long, romantic, winter day’s walks through beautiful New Forest woodland and picturesque villages, hearty, cosy pub dinners, and the comfortable retreats of the Forest’s luxurious hotels or authentic cottages for ultimate relaxation and peace.
And if you travel by public transport to the Forest or hand in your car keys at check in during Febuary, a selection of hotels and B&Bs are offering special discounts. From London, the New Forest is so easy to reach by train – 90 minutes from Waterloo to the heart of the Forest at Brockenhurst. When you’re here, there’s no need for a car – hire a tandem to explore the area, hop on a bus or go for a long walk.

In fact, the Cottage Hotel in Brockenhurst (cottagehotel.org) is offering a special Valentine’s treat, where every room comes complete with a tandem hire from a local cycle hire company, Country Lanes. Hotelier Christina Simons is even serving local produce for New Forest Breakfast with heart-shaped toast and decorating the cottage with abundant flowers.

Single?
Luxurious treats needn’t be exclusive to couples – with many spas and beautiful hotel rooms, the New Forest is the perfect place to relax and indulge yourself. If you feel like giving your body a real treat, try SenSpa at Careys Manor Hotel. The Thai massages and luxurious hydrotherapy facilities are the perfect antidote to the winter blues. Plus, Careys will be offering car free discounts, so treating yourself needn’t break the bank. Visit senspa.co.uk for more information.

Better with age
While you’re in the New Forest, why not get in the romantic mood by indulging your partner with a bottle of locally-produced wine? Setley Ridge vineyard is hugely popular with residents of the Forest, and produces beautiful British red and white wines. Visitors can also tour the vineyard, which also boasts a local organic food centre, provided by popular local farm, Warborne Organic Farm of Lymington. Log on to setleyridgevineyard.co.uk.

Sweet
Everybody loves a box of chocolates, and luckily for visitors to the New Forest, Beaulieu is a centre of beautifully made chocolate. The Beaulieu Chocolate Studio makes a variety of extremely high quality chocolates, in trendy, contemporary surroundings. The studio’s chocolates are guaranteed to get your partner’s pulse racing, so why not pop in?

For everything you need to know about visiting the New Forest, go to thenewforest.co.uk.