We are so lucky to have such talented chefs who make amazing pies.

This new menu we have named them after the people who keep the forest alive.

HOME-MADE SIGNATURE PIES

The Verderers of the New Forest – ( S+A)

The Commoners of the New Forest –(FISH PIE)

The Agister of the New Forest –(CHICKEN PIE)

The Farmers of The New Forest – (PORK PIE)

The Rangers of the New Forest – (VENISON PIE)

The Keepers of The New Forest – (VEG PIE)

 

THE VERDERERS

Evidence from the 13th century indicates that the Verderers were originally a court within the Forest, authorised by the Crown and elected by the County. They sat to hear cases of offences within the Sovereign’s Forest. They could deal with minor offences directly (by fines) but more serious cases were referred to higher courts – ultimately the Forest Eyre.

Verderers’ powers were extended in the 17th & 18th centuries to address offences undermining the planting and preservation of oak for ship-building (such as breaking Inclosure fences, encroachments on Crown land). Powers to deal with trespassers and abuses by Forest officers were also strengthened.

In 1877, the Verderers’ Court was reconstituted by a New Forest Act of Parliament. The Act abolished the former oath of allegiance to the Crown. The Act required the appointment by the monarch of the Official Verderer and (originally) five Verderers to be chosen by the Commoners and Parliamentary voters in the New Forest parishes. They were to be the guardians of Commoners, common rights, and the Forest landscape.

The New Forest Act of 1949 increased the number of Verderers to comprise five elected, an Official Verderer, and four appointed members. The Act also gave the Verderers additional powers to make and amend byelaws.

 

 

COMMONERS

Commoners of the New Forest are those people who occupy land or property to which attaches one or more rights over the Forest, first laid out in the Charter of the Forest (1217).

 

 

 

Common rights are:

  • Common of pasture – the right to turn out ‘commonable’ livestock: ponies, cattle, mules and donkeys.
  • Common of mast – the right to turn out pigs during the 60-day autumn pannage season to forage for   acorns and beech mast, which are poisonous to ponies and cattle.
  • Estovers – the free supply of wood for fuel.
  • Common of pasture of sheep – still practiced occasionally on our northern commons.
  • Common of marl – the right to dig lime-rich clay from marlpits to fertilise land or to use for building.
  • Common of turbary – the right to cut peat turves for fuel.

 

Agisters

The Agisters are employees of the Verderers. Their work is to assist in the management of Commoners’ stock in the Forest. Specifically, they:

  • Watch over the Forest to ensure that the owners of depastured stock, and others, meet the requirements of the Verderers in respect of stock welfare, payment of marking fees, etc.;
  • Inform the Verderers of any possible breaches of the Verderers’ byelaws;
  • Attend road accidents and other incidents involving commoners’ animals; deal with injured animals at the scene and humanely destroying animals if necessary;
  • Organise the construction and ongoing maintenance of stock pounds within their area;
  • Arrange and manage the rounding up of ponies and cattle in the Autumn and at other times as required;
  • by regular inspection on foot, vehicle and horseback, an Agister will acquire, and maintain, a thorough and up to date knowledge of depastured stock and of ground conditions.
  • There are five Agisters, including a Head Agister, each covering a particular area within the Forest. Their contact details are;
  • Mr. Jonathan Gerrelli Head Agister 07836602163
  • Mr. Mike Lovell 07836757579
  • Mr. Robert Maton 07836500106
  • Mr. Andrew Napthine 07836203883
  • Mr. Peter Rix 07721 409755

 

 

 

FARMERS

Land management by farmers and landowners is crucial for the New Forest.

Since the time of the earliest prehistoric forest settlements, agriculture has been the basis of the rural economy and way of life on the more fertile land surrounding the heathland, valley mires and pasture woodlands, locally known as the open forest.

Much of the fertile area was enclosed as private farmland at the time the Royal forest was formed, and many of the fields still show typical medieval boundary patterns.

The farming economy remains the major land use in the National Park, and has retained close links with the central open forest which is used by commoners to graze their stock.

RANGERS

The New Forest rangers work to keep information for tourists up to date, and help to distribute National Park publications. You will find them at many local events in their distinctive National Park Explorer mobile unit, which is well worth a visit.

 

KEEPERS

Keepers work for the Forestry Commission. They have lots of different jobs to do in looking after the Forest. They have to make sure that the numbers of deer and other other wild animals don’t get out of control. They will keep an eye on the state of fences, gates, drains, and ditches that need to be maintained.