Furzehill Farm CL

23/11/2025

I have mentioned to various folks on our CL that we have been involved in a Species Survival Fund scheme. If anyone is interested here's a link to a video about it. Most of the insect videos are ones that I made in the field adjacent to the CL.

This overview of the New Forest Species Survival Fund shows the work completed in 2024 and 2025 on more than 20 sites in the New Forest to restore heathland,...

20/11/2025

I have just updated our entry on the CAMC web site.
We have all the bills for power, water, repairs, waste disposal etc. for the past season and it's not a pretty site. No surprise but costs have risen dramatically - simple things like damage to the ride on mower caused by a heavy duty steel peg left behind in the grass now costs hundreds rather and tens of £££'s
We decided our charge has to rise for 2026. It is a simple rise from £25 per night to £30 per night and the deposit will be £60. For Eribas and VW based Campervans we'll hold the price at £25.... we know from experience that these outfits use less power and other resources.
We are sorry the price has to rise but hope you will still find the location has enough to offer to be decent value.

24/07/2025

For those who enjoy seeing the pigs out on the Forest:

Dates for this year's Pannage season have been confirmed

It will be from Monday, 15 September to Friday, 28 November

"Common of mast" is a traditional right that allows Commoners to let their pigs roam the New Forest during pannage season to eat fallen acorns.

The acorns can be poisonous to livestock if consumed in large amounts so if you do see the pigs, please keep your distance as it's a vitally important job they'll be doing!

29/04/2025

There was a little mist yesterday morning - I was out just in time to catch the last of it.

07/04/2025

Those of you who have visited our CL will know that the walking is good in pretty much all directions. If you like to take a camera along you stand a good chance of some nice shots. As a keen photographer I recommend shooting early and late in the day and try to pick a time when the weather has some drama to it. Wall to wall blue sky is not the best, it's OK for 'chocolate box' images but mist, drizzle, long shadows and striking clouds give more atmosphere. This photo was on a misty early morning just 200 metres from our front gate.

17/01/2025

In 2023 our Thistles thrived, so did the Brambles and as a result we enjoyed a bumper season for butterflies. 2024 wasn't as good, for some reason the Thistles grew poorly and only flowered for a short time. We hope that in 2025 the Thistles will be back to full strength looking lovely and full of nectar. Although generally seen as weeds, Thistles are important for many wild creatures so we are trying to understand their ecology and manage them to keep a balance in our meadows - we don't want them to take over but would miss them if they faded away.

14/01/2025

Thanks to the generosity of some of our CL guests and the lottery fund we have been able to plant 4,000 wildflower plugs in the meadow alongside the CL pitches - we have also had more than 100 metres of rough hedge laid in the traditional Dorset style. At the end of 2025 we expect to plant a further 7,000 wildflower plants in our other 'wild' meadows. This is part of a species survival scheme that aims to rapidly boost the amount of suitable habitat available to species that are struggling.

14/01/2025

After a lot of head scratching we have decided on charges and policy for 2025.
Our charge per night will remain at £25 per night to include 2 adults, however we will ask for an extra £5 per night for each additional adult.
We have also decided to go adults only. This was a difficult decision to make and we will be flexible. The main intention is to keep the site peaceful and to avoid heavy sacks of used nappies that I am no longer able to lift. Teenagers are not really a problem at all as they have their heads in phones or books and are very quiet.
At present we will not be charging extra for large/twin axle outfits, however we will be watching costs closely as the cost of services has increased massively.

We do state no ground sheets on the CAMC site, however considerate use is no problem and throughout 2024 we had no serious grass death due to ground sheets - a big thank you to you all for taking care of our grass.... I wish the moles were as cooperative.

29/08/2024

First two weeks of September we have space for you - peaceful with promise of an Indian Summer.

22/08/2024

The elephant Oak: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/tree-of-the-year/

17/08/2024

Just a short walk from our CL is Great Chibden Bottom - a classic New Forest valley with a serious bog. Heather clothes the valley sides - mainly Ling with some Bell heather making the display brighter, almost magenta. This valley almost always has fallow deer lurking somewhere in it... today there was a gang of about 50. The rut starts soon and the deer were quite frisky.

21/06/2024