Stargazing in the New Forest: Tranquil Places to Relax, Reflect and Reconnect With Nature
Have you ever looked up past the trees and sought connection and tranquillity in the stars?
The New Forest National Park is a wonderful place to stargaze; with many dark-sky areas with lower levels of light pollution, our ancient woodland is a favoured spot for many.
Stargazing educes wonder and curiosity often providing a moment of calm quiet in what can be a turbulent, distracting world.
According to the New Forest National Park authority, “the night sky viewed from the New Forest National Park is the seventh darkest out of the 10 National Parks within England. It has a high percentage of dark skies with minimal light pollution.”
Outside of London, and in between the bright lights of Bournemouth and Southampton, the New Forest sits in a patch of lower light pollution, offering higher chances for star-spotting for our guests who are on a break.
Autumn is a time of change, it evokes a need for warmth and nourishment, restoration and renewal. So, a break away to a tranquil area of beauty might be just what you need to move gently into the next season. Perhaps a break away, a spa day and a spot of stargazing will give you the escape you’ve been looking for, and the opportunity to seek some stars for mindful moments.
Firstly, visit gostargazing.co.uk where you can search for dark-sky areas near your home but whilst you’re visiting our Hampshire hotel you can find plenty of stargazing sites nearby too.
So, where are some of the stargazing spots near our New Forest hotel?
Bolderwood Car Park
7.6 miles
Gostargazing.co.uk says this car park in the New Forest ‘features parking and a field ideal for telescopes or lying out on a blanket spotting shooting stars!”.
Milkham Car Park – Forestry Commission
9.4 miles
A Forestry Commission car park at the edge of woodland with a large open area of heathland. Perfect for a cloud-free night star-spotting.
Stoney Cross Car Park
15.5 miles
According to gostargazing.co.uk, “this Forestry Commission Car Park in the heart of the New Forest is open all year and benefits from excellent horizons — ideal for spotting meteors on a dark moonless night!”
Wilverley Pit Car Park
3.3 miles
A free Forestry Commission car park, Wilverley pit is a large flat area of the National Park and a popular grazing spot for the New Forest ponies. On a clear night it could be just the spot for some stargazing, plus it’s just a short drive from our New Forest hotel.
Mindful stargazing
Stargazing has been said to help people be more present; helping to ease anxiety and calm the mind. The act of mindfulness is all about noticing the details, slowing down and focusing on the present. Just as many would find a walk through a woodland immersive and mindful, stargazing can concentrate the mind on the stars. Once the eyes have adjusted to the darkness, finding a comfortable position, simply gazing into the night’s sky, calming the breath and observing can be a deeply relaxing and calm-inducing experience.
Top stargazing tips:
- Check the light pollution map and head for dark blue or grey zones, even short distances away from towns can improve dark-sky chances.
- Watch the weather; head out on clear, cool and calm nights. Check websites like windy.com for forecasts when you’re planning your stargazing.
- Head out on a ‘new moon’; you’ll need little or no moon for the darkest skies. Many astronomy websites offer dark sky calendars, like moonphases.co.uk.
- Arrive early and let your eyes adapt to the dark and avoid using screens or any torches.
- Stay warm; pack layers, a blanket and even a flask of something hot to ensure you’re coy and comfortable while you sit under the stars.
Stargaze into autumn and winter
If you’re on an autumn or winter break, stargazing is a wonderful activity to plan. A gentle, mindful thing to do, especially with the darker evenings. You needn’t been out too late before piling back into your sumptuous hotel room for a hot drink and getting cosy.
For many, it can be as much about the capturing a slice of the natural wonders as it is about giving themself a day, or night away to feel rested and restored.
Consider the Star Treatment Spa Day. More than simply a day of treatments, it’s something special just for you. At our award-winning Hampshire spa, SenSpa, we’ve created the Star Treatment Spa Day to help you to pause, reset and restore so you can feel ready to face the colder seasons.
Feel tranquillity wash over you as you arrive to the warming waters of the hydrotherapy suite, the tension-easing thermal rooms and then a deliciously nourishing two-course Thai lunch.
A day of grounding and rebalancing, inviting you to enjoy a 60-minute treatment that will work to release stress and restore energy. To continue your sense of balance beyond your spa day, you’ll also receive a Fable England zodiac necklace, a beautiful reminder of the time you’ve given back to yourself, and a free three-month subscription to the Lila app. Lila calls itself ‘astrology for grown-ups’, and has been ‘designed to help you live a divine, self-aware life—not by defining who you are, but by revealing the deeper patterns shaping your journey.’
If you feel you need a chance to reset and wish to step into the new season feeling nourished and supported, book your Star Treatment Spa Day now and begin your journey.
