Ringwood - Gateway to the New Forest, Ringwood, England

Galloping through the Furlong Shopping Centre in Ringwood, Hampshire are bronze statues of a mare and foal created by Priscilla Hann. They are a beautiful reminder that Ringwood is in the New Forest and an ideal base for exploring the forest on foot, horseback, bus or bicycle.

In 1226 Ringwood was granted a charter to hold a weekly market in its Market Place. For centuries this market was the main centre for the sale of produce from the Avon and Stour areas as well as cattle and New Forest ponies. The sale of animals ended here when the cattle market closed in 1989 but the street market still takes place every Wednesday. Today it sells a wide variety of products and is supplemented by a Farmers’ Market held at the weekends and speciality markets also take place in The Furlong and Gateway Square. The Ringwood Gateway public services building, opened in 2012 occupies one side of the Gateway Square which features an unusual centrepiece – some unusual, quaint wooden sculptured seating decorated with carvings designed by local inhabitants. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).