The New Forest is a place of peace and quiet, an escape for an artist in need of time and inspiration, but it can also provide the challenge you need to push your talent further. Leave your comfort zone and get creative in this new exciting place that’s bursting with life and opportunity.
The creator and author of the famous Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, lived and worked in the National park, inspiring works such as ‘The White Company’, whilst today’s TV presenter, naturalist, wildlife expert and photographer, Chris Packham, still calls this wonderful National Park his home.
With miles of natural beauty and wildlife ready to be explored right on our doorstep, a visit to the Montagu Arms Hotel will be much more than an escape. This is where an artist’s inspiration can be rejuvenated and awakened – this is every artists’ paradise.
Whether watercolour, abstract, sculpture, poetry or photography is your medium, you never have to venture far from our New Forest hotel to find a new landscape, so you can mix things up and reinvigorate your creativity with a new scene each day.
Visit Beaulieu River for bluebells in spring, sun-dappled pathways and birdsong, Rhinefield Ornamental Drive for towering trees, large rhododendrons and azaleas, Milford-on-Sea for beach huts and crashing waves, Exbury Gardens for one of the largest collections of rare trees and shrubs and Hatchet Pond for breath-taking sunsets.
For those who love to depict wildlife, the New Forest is a nature reserve that is home to many birds and animals. Ponies, cattle and donkeys roam freely, pigs pannage in the autumn, rare birds nest throughout and if you’re lucky you’ll spot our spectacular deer meandering deep within the woodland.
You won’t need to search far to find miles of flora and fauna; from heather-covered plains and moss-carpeted woodland to the scented flowers of The Monagu Arms own garden, the New Forest is ever-changing with the seasons, so no visit is ever the same.
Capture the ancient trees in your medium of choice, and certainly don’t leave without paying homage to the great Knightwood Oak, the largest oak tree in the new Forest, its trunk measuring 7.4 metres and it’s still standing strong after more than 400 years.
If you’re in search of a creative break or in need of inspiration, the Montagu Arms Hotel will be the base for your artistry; with the perfect mix of landscapes, an abundance of wildlife and a new view to capture at every turn, come and find your very own paradise in the heart of the New Forest National Park.