Chance to visit the Sussex home of Winnie the Pooh this weekend

Milne’s former home, Cotchford Farm is opening its private gardens to visitors on Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29, to raise funds to preserve the future of Ashdown Forest.

A.A. Milne bought the house, in the beautiful village of Hartfield, close to Ashdown Forest, in 1925 as a country retreat.

It was here that he wrote the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin.

Galleons Lap, Poohsticks Bridge and Pooh Corner are all based on locations on the neighbouring Ashdown Forest.

There are four sessions, two each on Saturday and Sunday, with all profits going to The Ashdown Forest Foundation who work to care for this spectacular landscape.

Ashdown Forest CEO James Adler says it’s an incredible opportunity to view where some of the most famous children’s stories began.

He said: “The Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and therefore Cotchford Farm, hold a special place in so many peoples’ hearts. The gardens and the nearby Ashdown Forest embody the magic of the stories.

“Now you can come and see them for yourself whilst supporting the local area and we suggest booking quickly as there has been such a high level of interest.”

A statue of A.A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, overlooks the gardens while Owl can be found nestled within the herbaceous borders. A unique sundial, with carved, iconic Pooh characters, stands proudly on the lawn.

James says this is an important fundraiser for the Forest. He said: “We are working hard to secure the long-term future of Ashdown Forest. The Forest welcomes over 1.5 million visits a year and looking after the area and so many people requires a great deal of funding.

“That is why we were delighted when the owners of Cotchford Farm approached us to offer opening their gardens to raise funds for the Forest.”

Entry is by ticket only, and these must be purchased in advance.

Morning sessions on both days are from 10am to 1pm and the afternoon sessions 2pm until 5pm. The mornings will include a talk by Annemarie Bilclough who wrote “Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic”.

The afternoon speaker will be Kathryn Aalto, author of “The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh”. CEO James Adler will speak at all four sessions about the Forest’s vital importance today and into the future.

Tickets are £20 each plus a £2.15 Eventbrite booking fee. Go to cotchford-farm-open-gardens.eventbrite.co.uk.

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