The Countryside Education Trust

The Countryside Education Trust is an environmental education charity based on the Beaulieu Estate connecting people with nature in the heart of the New Forest.

About The Countryside Education Trust

The Countryside Education Trust (CET) offers a variety of opportunities to work and learn alongside nature with three main sites to run sessions from – the farm, garden, and woodland – meaning people can join sessions based on individual interests. For example:

• The garden is perfect for horticultural opportunities
• The farm offers a lovely way to spend time with animals
• The woods provide opportunities to learn practical woodland skills

The main sessions available through the Countryside Education Trust’s website are kids activity sessions run monthly called ‘Owls Clubs’ aimed at various age groups and parents to spend time in nature.

The CET also offers a range of Countryside Workshops covering a range of practical sessions and people can get in touch to arrange animal feed session for groups of up to 10.

Activities available

The Countryside Education Trust offers a range of sessions. These include:

1. ‘Owls Clubs’
   • Activity sessions for children running each month for different age groups, ‘Owls Clubs’ are the main activities to be found on the Countryside Education Trust’s website.
     • Owlets – for ages 0-2years
     • Little Owls – for ages 2-4 years
     • Big Owls – for ages 4-7 years
     • Eagle Owls – for ages 7-13 years
   • Most sessions involve games, crafts, and time outdoors.
   • ‘Owls Clubs’ are a fantastic way to meet other parents in the area and spend time in nature with your child as part of a group.
   • All sessions are seasonal and locations change between the farm, garden, and woodland.
2. Workshops
   • The CET offers a range of countryside workshops covering a range of practical sessions suiting various interests, including wildlife ID, horticulture, woodland skills, small holding and self-sufficiency with workshops serving as a wonderful way to get outdoors and learn something new.
3. Animal feeding sessions
   • Those interested in arranging an animal feeding session for groups of up to 10 people can get in touch with the Countryside Education Trust by phone or email.
   • The CET has pigs, goats, sheep, ponies, chickens, rabbits, and more, and depending on the time of year there may be eggs to collect, pigs to much out, or lambs to visit.
   • Sessions are an hour long and usually in the morning,

Access and facilities

• Toilets available on-site
• Seating / rest points available
• * Suitable for under 18s *
• Activities are inside and outside
• * Suitable for older people *
• Suitable for people with restricted mobility
• Disability-friendly
• Wheelchair accessible / level access **

PLEASE NOTE:

• * If there are age restrictions these will be made clear on the event booking page. *
• ** While we have disabled access toilets at our sites and a ramped route up to our treehouses not every activity will be suitable for pushchairs or people with restricted mobility. You can contact us to find out about how we can best accommodate and support you at specific sessions. We will be able to accommodate wheelchair users at many sessions but please get in touch before hand so that we can plan accordingly and put provisions in place. **

Note from the Countryside Education Trust team: 

‘The sessions that we offer are very varied as we are lucky to have so many different sites to base these from. We have a farm, garden and woodland. However, we understand that it may be difficult to gauge which sessions are tailored for who because of this. Please get in touch or visit our events page for information on which people will be suited to which activities.

‘We will do our best to accommodate you where we can but as some sessions will require a certain degree of physical fitness or can involve using sharp tools we will let you know if we think a session will be suitable or not. Our staff are all very friendly and we are happy to chat to anyone about any of the sessions.’

Getting there

• The Countryside Education Trust has on-site parking for cars, mini buses and coaches. Bike racks are available at our farm site and there is a bus stop in Beaulieu village, a 5-10 minute walk away.

What participants can expect joining activities at the Countryside Education Trust

1. ‘Owls Clubs’
   • You will be met upon arrival to help you get settled in
   • Each session varies, though most will have a game or seasonal activity, arts and crafts, and, most importantly, some time outside. This may include:
     • Collecting leaves in the woods and playing tree games
     • Meeting and feeding the animals
     • Planting or harvesting vegetables from the garden
   • There will be a break mid-session to have a snack and hot or cold drinks.
2. Workshops
   • Workshops are run to a small capacity to give each person the most out of their time.
   • Each workshop will vary in its structure but for the most part the aim is to teach you a new skill.
   • Snacks and drinks will be included.
   • Sessions will mainly be held outdoors at one of the CET’s sites. Occasionally workshops will be held at a different site in the New Forest. When this is the case there will be location information on our booking page.
3. Animal feeding sessions
   • You will be met beside the car park before going on a tour of the farm to meet the animals.
   • Upon meeting there will be a brief safety talk to ensure both participants and animals are safe during the session.
   • While at different paddocks and barns you will get the chance to feed many of the animals and learn a bit about them.
   •  For those who feel comfortable, there will be the chance to interact more closely with certain animals.

Where sessions take place

• The Countryside Education Trust runs sessions at its three sites across two locations. These are:
  • The Farm and Garden – Countryside Education Trust, Palace Lane, Beaulieu, SO42 7YE
  • The Woodland – Treehouse Study Centre, Hartford Wood, Beaulieu (found behind the National Motor Museum)

When sessions take place

• Timings vary depending on the session. Please look at specific events or activities for individual timings.

Who can participate?

• Please see individual activities for confirmation of which events are suitable for which age groups.

Cost

1. ‘Owls Clubs’
   • Spaces cost £5 – £7 and include a child with an accompanying adult.
2. Workshops
   • Prices vary from £15 to £40 per session during 2026.
3. Animal feeding
   • Animal feeds are £40 for up to 10 people including both children and adults.

How to book

• Visit the Countryside Education Trust website to view events and book onto a session.
• If you have any questions or difficulty booking on please call the CET on 01590 612401 on weekdays between 9 and 5 or email the team at: mail@cet.org.uk.

Find The Countryside Education Trust on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Not the right group for you? Find our other groups and opportunities on the Green Health Hub, or search by activity. Find out how to enjoy the New Forest on your own through the National Park Authority.