The New Forest ranked amongst most 'beautiful' in the UK

Discussing the creation of the list the publication wrote: "New native woods have been planted to restore habitats while ancient woodland from around the 1600s or earlier only covers 2.5% of the UK. 

"Some of the rarest types of woodland are temperate rainforests. Referred to as the Atlantic or Celtic rainforest, it’s thought to be even more threatened than tropical rainforests. 

"So stop typing ‘UK forests near me’ in your Google search bar and read on to discover some of the best forests in the UK near you."

The New Forest was described as a gorgeous ancient woodland (Image: Sheshe Elaine/Dorset Camera Club)

The full list of the most beautiful forests can be found on the Pebble Magazine website here. 

What did Pebble Magzine say about the New Forest?

Discussing the New Forest Pebble Magazine wrote: "New Forest is a gorgeous ancient woodland packed with beautiful scenery and rich wildlife. It’s also one of the top forests in England to camp in. 

"Approximately 220 square miles, the forest has plenty of trails, rivers, and bike tracks, and was once a royal hunting ground for King William I and his noblemen.

"New Forest hosts a unique mix of wildlife across their three primary habitats: heathland, woodland and bogs."

Its wildlife received much commendation, with there being five varieties of deer, ponies and adders.

The New Forest has a great mix of wildlife (Image: Hang Ross/Dorset Camera Club)

New Forest ranked amongst most beautiful places in the world

It is probably not a surprise to many that the New Forest would be among the most beautiful woodlands to visit in the UK, as it was included among the most beautiful places in the entire world last year.

A list of 30 spots was chosen by Time Out's "globetrotting travel writers" who had "personally experienced the beauty of every place" included.

Writer Antonia Windsor was very complimentary about it, describing it as having "anachronistic beauty".

She wrote: "There aren’t many places where you’ll be startled by a pony or donkey stepping into the road, but that’s the anachronistic beauty of the New Forest in the south of England.

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"This ancient woodland was given its name by William the Conqueror more than 900 years ago.

"If you choose to visit in the autumn, when the heath is purple with heather, you may find pigs guzzling acorns on the forest floor (they’re sent to protect the delicate stomachs of the 5,000 free-roaming ponies).

"Perhaps that’s where the famous Pig restaurant and hotel got its name – do pop in for pork scratchings and a pint."