Verderers Court

Members Of The Court

The members of the Verderers' Court and their Declarations of Interest (DoI) are:

Court Dates

The Court meets in ‘Open Court’ normally on the third Wednesday of each month (and Committee-only in December). The public may address the Verderers on any matter relevant to the management of the New Forest and subject to the Court Regulations listed below.

The Court meets in the Verderers’ Hall, The King’s House, Lyndhurst initially at 9:30 a.m. in closed Committee, then from 10:00 a.m. there is the Open Court, and after Open Court, back to closed Committee. Members of the public should aim to arrive before 10:00 a.m. for the Open Court. Court dates for 2024 are:

Members of the public may address the Court on any matter relevant to the management of the New Forest and subject to the Court Regulations listed below.

Agisters

The Agisters are employees of the Verderers. Their work is to assist in the management of Commoners' stock in the Forest. Specifically, they:

• Watch over the Forest to ensure that the owners of depastured stock, and others, meet the requirements of the Verderers in respect of stock welfare, payment of marking fees, etc.;
• Inform the Verderers of any possible breaches of the Verderers' byelaws;
• Attend road accidents and other incidents involving commoners' animals; deal with injured animals at the scene and humanely destroying animals if necessary;
• Organise the construction and ongoing maintenance of stock pounds within their area;
• Arrange and manage the rounding up of ponies and cattle in the Autumn and at other times as required;
• by regular inspection on foot, vehicle and horseback, an Agister will acquire, and maintain, a thorough and up to date knowledge of depastured stock and of ground conditions.
• There are five Agisters, including a Head Agister, each covering a particular area within the Forest. Their contact details are;
• Mr. Jonathan Gerrelli Head Agister 07836602163
• Mr. Mike Lovell 07836757579
• Mr. Robert Maton 07836500106
• Mr. Michael Maton 07836203883
• Mr. Peter Rix 07721 409755

Memorandum of Understanding Between Forestry Commissioners & Verderers

In carrying out their statutory role as managers of the New Forest, the Forestry Commissioners are constrained by the existence of rights of common. However, these rights are subject to the Forestry Commissioners’ statutory powers. The Commissioners have power, amongst other things, to authorise the use of land in the New Forest for the purpose of recreation and the appropriation of land in the New Forest for car parking and for camping sites. They also have powers to provide tourist, recreational or sporting facilities. The powers in the various New Forest Acts and those in the Countryside Act are only exercisable with the agreement of the Verderers.

In the context of the day-to-day management of the New Forest, it is necessary to decide how particular activities or other items which the Forestry Commissioners propose to permit, fall to be treated in the light of the legal rights and obligations outlined above. In particular, the parties have not always been able to agree whether particular items legally require the agreement of the Verderers. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to set out the parties’ intended approach in respect of specific items which the Forestry Commissioners are likely to wish to permit in the New Forest in the future.