The New Forest's name is misleading, as it is neither new - it was created nearly 900 years ago - nor is it a forest, as it consists mainly of heathland, wetland, estuaries and grassy plains. It is Britain's smallest National Park, yet one of the most varied, boasting a wealth of flora and fauna, not to mention historic villages, churches, monasteries and palaces.

In this book, photographer and writer Beata Moore captures the New Forest's changing moods through the course of a whole year - its natural and cultural heritage, its timeless villages and of course its famous wild ponies and donkeys.

The New Forest's unique history, which is closely connected with hunting, warfare, shipbuilding and smuggling, reveals it as a special corner of the country, where, over centuries of change and turmoil, mankind has developed a harmonious relationship with nature.