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The New Forest is an area characterised by open pasture and ancient heathland as well as woodland. It covers more than 550 square kilometres, mostly in Hampshire although parts of it are in Wiltshire. Roughly two-thirds of The New Forest is within the New Forest National Park, which was designated as a National Park in 2005.

More information can be found on the websites of the New Forest National Park Authority: Link and Forestry England: Link

The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes. It was created by the charity Sustrans Link (Sustainable Transport), aided by a National Lottery grant.

Many routes aim to minimise contact with motor traffic, though 70% of them are on roads. In some cases the NCN uses pedestrian routes, disused railways, minor roads, canal towpaths, or traffic-calmed routes in towns and cities.

National Route 2 will link Dover with St. Austell when complete via the south coast of England and is sometimes referred to as the South Coast Cycle Route.
The route is only fully open, at present, and signed between Dover and Brighton, but is still under development between Brighton and St. Austell.

National Cycle Route 2 (NCR 2) is a long-distance cycling route in the National Cycle Network (NCN) that runs along the southern coastline of England. Stretching approximately 361 miles (580 km). The route links Dover in Kent to St Austell in Cornwall, passing through a diverse range of landscapes, from bustling seaside towns to tranquil rural countryside.

Dr Richard Beeching (1913-1985) was employed during the 1960s by the government as the Chairman of the British Railways Board. In 1963 he produced a report which recommended the closure of thousands of miles of railway lines and thousands of stations, which were deemed to be unprofitable, to streamline the British railway network.

Over the years that followed, many of the lines and stations recommended for closure did indeed close, although some did survive against the odds while a few which did close have since been rebuilt and reopened. The railway closures of that period are often referred to as "Beeching Cuts".

More information about Dr Beeching's report cn be found on the websites of Network Rail Link and the National Archives Link