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.

Parkhurst Forest

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.

Parkhurst Forest

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.

Parkhurst Forest

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

References

External links

Forestry England

Forests and woodlands of the Isle of Wight

Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight