Visitor criticises Forestry England parking fees at Lyndhurst Cemetery
Mourning rituals disrupted by new charges, prompting appeals for exemption
A man who travels 109 miles to visit his relatives’ graves Lyndhurst Cemetery has branded the introduction of parking charges as “insensitive”.
Jim Gardiner pays his respects to his parents and grandparents at the cemetery twice a year, travelling from Aylesbury with his wife Sue to do so.
But the new parking charges from Forestry England will add an extra expense to his journey.
Jim, who grew up in Christchurch, said: “Forestry England appear to prioritise revenue over understanding, compassion, or even basic recognition of the unique circumstances surrounding this particular site.
“Now, visitors are put on a time constraint from the word go.
“It seems wrong that all of a sudden you have got to pay to visit family graves.”
Jim said that visiting his parents, Stanley and Patience Gardiner, and grandparents, Ellis and Dorothy Dawson, at the cemetery near Bolton’s Bench has been an important part of his life for decades.
“My uncle, then a serving RAF officer, would take the family to visit my grandfather’s grave in the 1950s, followed by tea at The Swan”, he said.
“Since then, my grandmother joined him, then my father in 1990, and finally my mother in 1999.”
Part of the family tradition includes laying silk flowers and tidying and cleaning the graves.
Jim is often joined by his son Michael, along with his two brothers Charles and Simon, who live in Christchurch and Southampton, respectively.
He added: “Introducing the charges feels fundamentally wrong. It is a distasteful decision from Forestry England, and there must be some dispensation for people who visit.
“In the wider scheme of things, offering a modest exemption for mourners would hardly represent a significant loss of income, yet it would make an enormous difference to the families who continue long‑standing traditions of remembrance.
“I know I am not alone in this. Many families with loved ones at Bolton’s Bench are facing the same distressing situation.
“We are simply asking for a small concession – an hour’s grace, a permit system, or any reasonable arrangement – that acknowledges the difference between a leisure visit and a visit made in remembrance.”
The charges, which came into force on April 20, were brought in to address funding concerns for Forestry England.
Fees have been imposed across all 129 beauty spot sights in the New Forest.
Prices start at ÂŁ1.50 for one hour and rise to ÂŁ8 for more than four hours.