The New Forest is our favourite UK weekend escape. Wild ponies in the lanes, woodland made for walking and cycling and a relaxing spa to sink into at the end of the day, all make a weekend away in the New Forest a heavenly slice of respite.
We’ve had many weekends away in the New Forest, and have twice stayed at the beautiful New Park Manor just outside Brockenhurst. It has become one of our favourite UK short breaks. This is our guide to a relaxing weekend away in the New Forest, the best things to do, and our favourite hotel and spa.
Best Things to Do in the New Forest
Our New Forest weekends are intentionally relaxed with lots of time outdoors and in the spa.
Walk the woodland. This is the heart of a New Forest weekend. There are miles of gentle, well-marked walking and cycle paths through the trees and open heath. You will see the famous New Forest ponies roaming freely.
Cycle the forest. We took our own bikes and it was one of the best decisions of the trip. On our second morning we did a big cycling loop around Brockenhurst. The terrain is easy, and quiet lanes and cycle paths link the villages. No bike? There is bike rental near Brockenhurst station.
Explore Brockenhurst. We had lunch at Paddle in the Forest, a little cafe in the village centre, serving healthy soups and sandwiches. Take a wander around the pretty village.
Setley Ridge Vineyard is a lovely stop for local New Forest wines (the white is particularly good), cheeses and other bits and pieces.
Visit Beaulieu. If you want to explore further, the quaint village of Beaulieu is a 30-minute cycle or 12-minute drive from Brockenhurst. It’s best known for the National Motor Museum, Palace House and Gardens and Beaulieu Abbey, and does attract tourists for this reason. We loved the Beaulieu Abbey grounds, and recommend a stop at The Beaulieu Bakehouse for a cappuccino.
Visit Lymington. In the other direction, the port town of Lymington is also a 30-minute cycle or 12-minute drive from Brockenhurst. Lymington is a great option if you’d like to be near the water, for boating, or to enjoy shopping in the town. When I visited with my mum, we spent 2+ hours scouring charity shops in town and had some good finds in the Oakhaven Hospice. Coffee & Drift is the best place for a coffee stop by the water.
Spa afternoon at New Park Manor (see our full review below). The two outdoor hot tubs are the highlight, the nature views makes you feel whole again and it turns a wet or wintry weekend into a real treat!
A Relaxed New Forest Weekend Itinerary
- Day 1: Train to Brockenhurst, lunch at Paddle in the Forest, cycle/walk to your stay, take an afternoon to relax in the spa, and enjoy dinner and wine at New Park Manor, an evening of board games in the snug.
- Day 2: Morning swim, have a leisurely breakfast, go for a longer walk or a cycling loop around Brockenhurst or head to another town, and take a vineyard stop before the train home.
New Park Manor — our favourite hotel in the New Forest
New Park Manor is a small, boutique, luxury spa hotel set in its own grounds a short way out of Brockenhurst. I have stayed twice: once when I took my mum for her birthday, and again with Luke for a romantic weekend. It is comfortable, cosy and very lovely, but the spa is the real reason to come.
What to know before you book:
- It is family-friendly. There are young children and toddlers around, which is worth knowing if you are picturing a purely grown-up retreat. The spa and pool have adult-only times, so couples can still have quiet time in the spa without any splish-splashing.
- The rooms are plush and comfortable.
- Breakfast is a buffet with a wide, healthy spread (muesli, yogurt, chia seeds, nuts and the like) alongside a proper cooked breakfast, with poached and fried eggs made to order.
- Dinner is posh-pub style, with a good menu and vegetarian and vegan options. I had a lovely omelette, the cheese souffle is particularly good, and we shared a very good bottle of red.
- The games room is a cosy spot for the evening: sofas and board games for the hours you are not in the spa.
- The hotel is easily reachable from Brockenhurst station by bicycle or a short taxi ride.
New Park Manor Spa
The spa is the highlight and guests at the hotel have unlimited spa use. The pool is warm and heated. It’s a fairly small swimming space rather than a lap pool but both times we’ve visited only a small number of people have been in the spa. There’s a wet sauna and a dry sauna.
The most special part is outside: two outdoor hot tubs, where you can happily sit with a glass of bubbly. We went on a crisp autumn weekend, and watched the sunset from the hot tubs until the stars came out. Because so much of the treat is the spa and hot tubs, New Park Manor a great choice for a rainy or wintry weekend too.
Getting to the New Forest
By Car — The New Forest is easy to drive, with easy roads and parking pretty much everywhere. However, it can get busy in peak seasons around bank holidays and school holidays. Traffic jams are common in Brockenhurst, especially where the train is crossing.
By Train — We did both our New Forest trips by train. From Brighton it is about 2.5 hours with change at Southampton Central, then it is just one stop to Brockenhurst.
We took our bikes because we wanted an active weekend and cycled the half hour or so from Brockenhurst station to New Park Manor, gently meandering on the woodland trails.
Where Else to Stay in the New Forest
New Park Manor is our pick, but if it is booked up or not your style, the other handy bases are Brockenhurst (most central, and the easiest by train, with the station in the village), Lyndhurst (the forest’s “capital”, good for pubs and the museum), Lymington (pretty harbour town on the coastal edge) and Beaulieu (quieter, near the Motor Museum).
The New Park Manor area in the woodlands around Brockenhurst is our favourite place to stay because it’s away from the hustle-and-bustles of the towns and tourist hubs of the other areas. If you have a car, you can easily visit most places on a weekend break if you wanted to.
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Best Time to Visit
The New Forest works in any season. We went in autumn and had a crisp, clear weekend with beautiful views and sunsets. And with the spa and hot tubs at New Park Manor, even a wet weekend is no problem: you can spend it swimming, in the saunas and out in the hot tubs.
New Forest Weekend FAQ
Walk and cycle the woodland paths, see the wild ponies, potter around Brockenhurst, visited Beaulieu and Lymington, taste local wine at Setley Ridge Vineyard, and enjoy a spa afternoon at New Park Manor.
Yes. We took the train from Brighton to Brockenhurst, changing at changing at Southampton Central. We brought our bikes from home on the train with us, and cycled around everywhere in the New Forest. There is also a bike rental near the station, and distances are short. Driving is easy too, with lots of parking.
The New Forest is very good for a weekend break! It is compact, easy to reach, and mixes gentle walking and cycling with pony-spotting and a wonderful spa. Two days is plenty for a relaxing break in the woodlands.
The New Forest National Park covers around 566 square kilometres (about 219 square miles) in Hampshire.
Planning more UK weekends? Read our guides to a weekend in Mumbles, the Cotswolds and Dorset.