Parkhurst Forest

Last updated
Parkhurst Forest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Hillis Gate - Parkhurst Forest - geograph.org.uk - 90201.jpg
Hillis Gate - Parkhurst Forest
Location Isle of Wight
Grid reference SZ473915
InterestBiological
Area395 hectare
Notification 1986 (1986)
Location map Natural England
Scenery in the forest Parkhurst Forest, Isle of Wight, UK.jpg
Scenery in the forest

Parkhurst Forest is a woodland to the north-west of Newport, Isle of Wight, England.

The site is partly a site of special scientific interest. It consists of ancient woodland, relict heathland and plantation woodland. The woodland is freehold owned and managed by Forestry England. It is 395 hectares in area and the second largest forest on the Isle of Wight after Brighstone Forest. It is open to the public.

It is much used as recreational land and is a haven for wildlife including the red squirrel and many species of bird such as garden warbler, nightjar, woodcock, green, great spotted woodpecker and long eared owl.

An industrial area is located off Forest Road within the forest itself. Factories were located in this way during the Second World War to avoid German bombers. One of these factories, a former aircraft hangar, became the printworks for J. Arthur Dixon, the eponymous manufacturer of greetings cards and postcards. [1]

James I hunted deer in the forest. There have been sightings of wild deer reported on the Isle of Wight.

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Brighstone Forest

Brighstone Forest is located in the southwest of the Isle of Wight. It is the largest forest on the Isle of Wight, being just a few hectares larger than Parkhurst Forest. It is spread over a number of hilly ridges which form the backbone of the Isle of Wight. From west to east the ridges are Chessell Down, Westover Down, Brighstone Down, Newbarn Down, Rowborough Down and Idlecombe Down. The main entrance is located at grid reference SZ 419849. The forest lies close to the small town of Brighstone, and is part of the Isle of Wight AONB.

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John Arthur Dixon was the British founder of the eponymous manufacturer of greetings cards and postcards.

References

  1. "J. Arthur Dixon works, Newport". Domesday Reloaded. BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

Coordinates: 50°43′16″N1°19′53″W / 50.72121°N 1.33131°W / 50.72121; -1.33131