Ringwood was a well-established community in Saxon times. It is listed in the Doomsday Book (1086) and before that it was mentioned in a Saxon Document 955 AD. From the 12th and 13th centuries onwards, the manor of Ringwood was originally owned by the monarch. After the reign of King Henry III, however, it changed hands many times and was finally sold to John Morant of Brockenhurst in 1792 for the sum of £23,000.

Perhaps Ringwood's greatest claim to fame is its association with the aftermath of the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. The Duke of Monmouth was defeated in battle and captured underneath an ash tree known as 'Monmouth's Ash' near Ringwood, after which he was taken to the Tower of London.

Perhaps the most famous product to come out of Ringwood was the knitted string gloves known as 'Ringwoods'. The business grew from a cottage industry during the late Victorian era, in which women and children of many households locally took part. The gloves were especially suitable for riding and driving, and before dying out the business was employing 500 people in the area.

Today Ringwood is a flourishing New Forest town with a very pretty market square and town centre and ideally positioned for ease of access for Bournemouth and Poole and the M27 Motorway for London. The coastline of South Hampshire and the Solent is only an easy drive away and the wonderful walks of the New Forest are on the doorstep.