Archive

The Christopher Tower

Our Library and Archive is dedicated to Christopher Tower (1915 - 1998).

Christopher was a man large in stature and large in interests - an Arabian scholar, a diplomat, soldier, author, collector and traveller - who came to the New Forest late in life and acquired a great interest in its life and traditions.

You can find out more about Christopher Tower here - New Forest Knowledge

We share the stories of the New Forest, preserving and understanding the past, enhancing learning and sharing knowledge with future generations.

Thousands of Hidden Stories

Home to 50,000 books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera

Our small team of archivists and volunteers work behind the scenes, cataloguing and managing our diverse collections to make them more accessible for all.

From great classical works and notable biographies, to guides on the Forest and the forgotten histories of artists and traveller communities, we have a lot to share with you.

Along with papers of the governing authorities of the New Forest, scientific studies and the best collection of maps of the area.

Highlights from the Archive

  • Extensive natural history collection, including observational notes from naturalist and filmmaker, Eric Ashby

  • Collected drawings and carvings by esoteric artist, Tom Charman (1863-1939)

  • Woodland and forestry records and reports

  • Oral histories collected from a wide range of local communities

  • Archival content from Félicité Hardcastle of Burley, Ted Baker of Ringwood and the Crosthwaite-Eyre family of Bramshaw

  • The New Forest Knowledge website which is the online portal for historical information on the forest

Most of our collection is digitised and searchable via the New Forest Knowledge Gateway

Online Catalogues

Book your visit to the library

We are open Wednesday to Friday, by appointment.

Arranging your visit

To help you make the most of your visit, please let us know in advance your area of research, and where possible, a list of materials you would like to access.

Contact us here or by phone on 02380 286150 to book your visit.