New Forest commoner

A New Forest commoner (also known as a New Forester, Commoner or Forester) is a person who owns common land with recognized historical rights in the New Forest area of Southern England. The term is used both for a practitioner of the heritage agricultural vocation of commoning, and also a cultural minority native to the area. They are closely associated with the New Forest pony. In 2020, there were about 700 New Forest commoners.

Areas of common land in and around the New Forest are linked to established historical rights, some dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. These include rights of pasture, mast, marl, turbary, sheep-grazing, and fuelwood. The landowners entitled to these rights – often families who have held common land for generations – are known as commoners. Only they have the legal authority to exercise the rights attached to their holdings.

The contribution of New Forest commoners to maintaining the area's ecology and landscape, as well as their historic role as a living tradition and heritage cultural minority, has been recognised by the Government of the United Kingdom, and the New Forest National Park Authority has acknowledged its commitment to protecting and supporting the community and the practice.