Why Winnie the Pooh’s home in Sussex is one of the top 20 destinations for nature loving home buyers

Bramlett Residential (bramlettresidential.com) recently evaluated 330 forests in the country to see what the best locations are for people who want to get away from city life and live close to (or in) a forest.

Bramlett Residential’s study found that Ashdown Forest, the home of Winnie the Pooh, comes 16th out of all 330 forests, while Sheffield Park Gardens is in 21st place.

Sussex features a total of eight times out of all the forests on the list.

Eric Bramlett, owner of Bramlett Residential, said: “We’re seeing more and more people looking to relocate to countryside settings and away from big cities. The outdoor lifestyle and trips such as camping have become hugely popular over recent years. The new data which we have collected will hopefully guide UK-residents on their journey to finding the best new housing locations which are closest to forests, where they can enjoy a peaceful and a tranquil life.”

Bramlett Residential said they created their index by including data on the total number of bird species according to eBird as well as ‘the area in acres according to the Woodland Trust, the average amount of sunshine per county, the average amount of rainfall per county (mm), the average amount of rain per county (days), and the annual average maximum temperature (°C) according to The Met Office’. They also included the total number of Tripadvisor reviews and ratings, including the total number of mentions for ‘nature’/‘natural’, ‘woodland’ and ‘fresh air’ in these reviews.

Ashdown Forest got a ‘nature score’ of 2844.5 out of 3630.

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A Bramlett Residential spokesperson said: “Covering 1,190.21 acres, this forest has clocked up over 200 Tripadvisor reviews, with an overall rating of 4.5 on the platform. Ashdown Forest has an annual average maximum temperature of 14.61 (°C). Revealing that this forest has a higher than average annual maximum temperature in comparison to all forests on the full dataset. In addition, the average annual amount of rain per (days) for all forests on the list is 130. Ashdown Forest experiences on average around 125.04 of rain per (days) annually, making it a slightly dryer option for nature lovers.

“Taking 21st place overall is Sheffield Park Gardens with a ‘nature score’ of 2748 out of 3630. This forest is much smaller in comparison to Ashdown Forest, with Sheffield Park Gardens covering 174.09 acres in size. Sheffield Park Gardens has amassed over 1,000 reviews on Tripadvisor with an overall rating of 4.5 on the platform. Attendees have also referenced mentions of ‘Woodland’ over 77 times and ‘Nature’ / ‘Natural’ 50 times across all reviews.”

The top forests in Sussex, according to the study, are:

1) Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. Ranked 16 (2844.5 out of 3630).

2) Sheffield Park Garden, East Sussex. Ranked 21 (2748 out of 3630).

3) Abbot's Wood, Sussex. Ranked 72 (2238.5 out of 3630).

4) Friston Forest, East Sussex. Ranked 78 (2171 out of 3630).

5) Guestling Wood, Sussex. Ranked 101 (1988 out of 3630).

6) Friend's Clump, East Sussex. Ranked 151 (1702 out of 3630).

7) Footland Wood, East Sussex. Ranked 191 (1442 out of 3630).

8) Myrtle Wood Bushcraft, Sussex. Ranked 256 (1012 out of 3630).

The top ten forests in the UK, according to the study, are:

1) New Forest, Hampshire, 3278.

2) Rendlesham, Suffolk, 3144.

3) Bedgebury, Kent, 3077.

4) Alice Holt, Hampshire, 3055.5

5) Moors Valley, Dorset, 3050.

6) Box Hill, Surrey, 3008.5.

7) Brownsea Island, Dorset, 3005.

8) Blean Woods, Kent, 2995.

9) Kings Wood, Kent, 2941.

10) Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, 2930.