Just a short walk from our Moorhill House Hotel - the picturesque village of Burley in the New Forest embodies all that is quaint and beautiful about this part of the world. With its spellbinding charm, Burley boasts an intriguing history of witches, dragons and smugglers: this has naturally left a unique mark on the village, with an array of gift shops paying tribute to these themes.
Burley is situated in the heart of the New Forest, to the west of Brockenhurst. Surrounded by colourful heathland scattered with the bright yellows and pastel blues of wild forest flowers, it is an area of undeniable beauty. Adding to this sense of tranquillity is an abundance of ancient pine trees, beeches and oaks – which, like much of the village itself - have remained unchanged over the centuries.
The village is still largely untouched by time, and - although there are some cars on the roads, they are frequently joined by traffic of the four-legged variety in the form of New Forest ponies, cows, donkeys – and the occasional pig! Burley is one of the few remaining villages to still practise the old tradition of ‘Commoning’, which allows animals to graze on the open forest. In fact, ponies have right of way over cars on New Forest roads.
History of Burley
Burley is located in an area of grassy meadow, or ‘lea’ (the name ‘Burley’ derives from the Saxon, where ‘leah’ means ‘open meadow’ or ‘clearing’). The origin of its name forms part of the evidence suggesting there was once Saxon occupation here. Interestingly, Burley was mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Parts of certain estates in Burley are thought to have been established during Saxon times- even before the Doomsday book was compiled in 1086.
Burley Witches
Witchcraft is a very apparent feature throughout Burley village, with its themed gift shops and tearooms.
In the 1950s, a well-known ‘White Witch’ called Sybil Leek lived in Burley. She eventually moved to America, where she was also popular, passing her knowledge on to students – many of whom still practise witchcraft today.
