A New Forest Commoner is someone who holds common rights in England’s New Forest—ancient legal rights that let them use the Forest in specific, traditional ways. These rights go back to medieval times and are still very much alive.
The main common rights
- Pasture – grazing ponies, cattle, sheep, or donkeys on the open Forest
- Mast (pannage) – turning pigs out in autumn to eat acorns and beech mast 🌰🐖
- Turbary – cutting peat (now tightly restricted)
- Estovers – collecting wood for fuel or repairs (also regulated)
How it works today
- Animals are marked and overseen by Agisters (officials who manage stock on the Forest).
- Commoning is central to the New Forest’s ecology—the grazing keeps heathland open and biodiverse.
- Not everyone who lives nearby is a Commoner; you usually need to occupy land or property with attached rights.
Why it matters
Commoners aren’t just following tradition—they’re custodians of the landscape. Without commoning, the Forest would scrub over and lose much of what makes it special.