Hampshire & IOW Area BDS
Carriage Driving in the New Forest
General information about carriage driving in the New Forest
The New Forest in Hampshire has a large network of off-road tracks suitable for carriage driving. The area is regulated by The Verderers Court, Forestry England and the New Forest National Park Authority.
Before heading out carriage driving in the New Forest there are a number of things you need to do and take with you.
Carriage driving permit.
Issued by Forestry England these permits require an online application form to be filled out and there is an £81 administration charge for the issue of the permit (May 2025).
To start the application process, send an email to southern.permissions@forestryengland.uk to request the 'initial enquiry form' link.
Permits have to be applied for annually (there was previously a 2-year option), make sure it is clear that you are applying for a licence for private use. I have reviewed the form and created some detailed guidance in this blog post.
You are only required to complete this initial application form, if you asked to complete a secondary form please email our rights of way officer who will be able to help you with this. You do not need to provide proof of your public liability insurance for this process but it is advised that you have adequate cover.
New Forest Gate Key
These keys give you access through locked barriers on tracks and locked gates into enclosures.
The keys are issued by Forestry England, please either indicate in the request for your permit permission that you also require a Forest Key or send a separate email to southern.permissions@forestryengland.uk to request a key.
A deposit will be required before you are issued your key.
Public liability insurance
As a member of the BDS you are covered by the group public liability insurance as long as you are adhering to the code of conduct for members. Make sure you have read both the cover provided by the insurance as well as the code of conduct for members to make sure you are covered if the worst should happen
If you are not a BDS member, a suitable alternative source of cover should be sourced. Make sure your insurance provider knows that you will be carriage driving and ensure you are aware of any restrictions or limitations of your cover.
Map(s)
We advise using Ordnance Survey Explorer OL22
This map indicates "traffic free cycle routes" with an orange dotted line; these tracks are usually suitable for carriage driving. However, with a carriage driving permit from Forestry England you have permission to drive on all gravelled tracks, some of which are not dedicated as cycle routes.
Do not drive on unmade-up tracks (grass or dirt tracks) as this may lead to removal of your carriage driving permit and risks future permission for all carriage drivers. Follow all Forestry England or National Park Authority signs restricting use of routes.
There is also a downloadable cycle route map which lists the routes with the numbered wayposts. You may also be able to buy a copy of this map, or similar ones, from cycle shops in the area.
Closures: car parks and enclosures
The New Forest is a working landscape as well as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and there are often requirements to close certain areas of the New Forest to protect visitors from operational movements or protect the environment and wildlife from the impact of visitors. You can check for some of these planned closures.
Car parks and enclosures: Forestry England posts information of planned closures on their website. Our rights of way officer has also developed relationships with Forestry England to be notified of these closures and will make sure they are posted on this website (check out the blog) and on the facebook group.
Drifts: these are the autumn round-up of ponies on the New Forest. Contact the Verderers office on 023 8028 2052 to find out where these are taking place so you can avoid the area.
Risk Assessment
The New Forest brings with it a range of unique experiences that might not normally encounter, and your horse may adversely react to. These additional risks need to be considered as part of your routine assessment of conditions prior to any outing; additional risks include but are not limited to:
> Pigs
> Cattle
> Ponies - the 'wild' ponies of the New Forest running as a herd or on their own
> Children and other forest users
> Cyclists - often approach fast and close without warning and may also 'undertake'
> Forestry machinery or vehicles of Rangers, Agisters, or Commoners
> High water levels in fords after heavy rain
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that any routes or picnic locations published or advertised on this website are correctly described and assessed as suitable for carriage driving, Hampshire Area BDS cannot liability should you loose your way or suffer an accident.
