Minstead has a special place in my heart because it was there that I had my first encounter with "The New Forest". I was part of the first group of children ever to stay at the study centre there: a tremendous man by the name of Stan Gibbons showed me all the different kinds of trees and I've been hooked ever since. Now I live close enough to the place that we can occasionally go out for an hour or two on the spur of the moment.
As a gentle introduction to what the forest is really like, it has a lot to recommend it. The simplest, although not in fact the quickest, way to get there by car is to get to the Cadnam roundabout at the end of the motorway, turn left and follow the signs. Mike Powers' excellent "Pub Walks in Hampshire and the I O W" (Power, Ferndown, 1-898073-17-1) features the Trusty Servant, so I can hardly be accused of spoiling the place by attracting tourists, but the forest in general has terrible traffic problems in the summer, so please be considerate. Also remember that the 40 limit is there for a reason. Ponies roam free and many die each year - expect no sympathy whatever if you are silly enough to hit one.
The focus of the village is the green, which is dominated by the Trusty Servant pub. I've spent many happy evenings there, with and without the morris dancers, and the new up-market food arrangement (sadly just about the only way to make money from a pub these days) hasn't spoiled the friendly atmosphere. Go on, treat yourself, have a meal - you know it makes sense. Besides, if you don't have a copy of Mike's book, you'll be wanting to read the menu, which has the Minstead walk printed on it. If the local venison is on, I recommend it, with a glass or two of the Merlot to wash it down: they also have excellent vegetarian options which I often choose. Then, I recommend a little bit of the walk, just to let the food settle. The whole walk is wonderful, and takes in Furzey Gardens, but about a third of the walk makes a short loop which can be tackled by just about anyone and is still further from the car than most visitors ever get.
Turn right out of the pub, up the lane to the church. Both the church itself and the churchyard are interesting. Inside, the stained glass is beautiful, and be sure to read the bequests and pledges painted on the balcony. Outside, Conan Doyle's grave is the one most people know about, but try to find that of the church musician, which has a serpent carved on it. Now, walk up the footpath at the side of the church. This is a shaded woodland path with wildflowers, beautiful in early evening light.
Centres like this are more common nowadays, but this was one of the first.
Hampshire schools could take 24 pupils and two teachers for a week of intensive study, getting to know about the animals, trees and the whole structure of the forest under the expert tutelage of Stan Gibbons, the warden. I have fond memories of being allowed to collect eggs which would go in the incubator, and of watching the fish in the river. I daresay it wasn't really the first time I'd seen fish, but it certainly seems so now.
It's only a short walk back along the road into the village: one of the things I like about Minstead is that it isn't all twee cottages: there's a great variety of architecture which shows that Minstead is an evolving village rather than a tourist attraction.
If you've only done the walk described here, and still have half an hour or more to spare, visit Furzey Gardens, out of the village past the village hall. At their most colourful in springtime, the gardens are beautiful all year round. And, if you've enjoyed it, vow to come back soon.