Writers in Sussex: A.A. Milne and the Magic of Ashdown Forest
- Ellen Cheshire
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
On Christmas Eve in 1925, the first Winnie-the-Pooh story, The Wrong Bees, was published in the London Evening News. In celebration of this 100th anniversary, this latest blog in the Writers in Sussex series explores the Sussex landscape that inspired A.A. Milne’s beloved stories and the enduring magic of Ashdown Forest.
Ashdown Forest in East Sussex is a place where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. For many, it is an area of rolling heathland, ancient trees and hidden ponds. For A.A. Milne, it was the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood, the enchanting setting of his beloved Winnie the Pooh stories. Milne’s tales of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Christopher Robin have captured the imaginations of generations, yet at their heart lies a very real landscape in Sussex.
Milne moved to the area in the 1920s, settling with his family at Cotchford Farm near Hartfield. The forest and surrounding countryside were a playground for his young son, Christopher Robin Milne. Their walks and adventures across the heath, through the tall pines and past quiet streams became the foundation for the stories that would later delight readers worldwide. Milne observed the shapes of trees, the patterns of the land and the creatures that lived there, transforming them into a world of gentle mischief, friendship and curiosity.
Ashdown Forest is recognisably present in the books, though filtered through the lens of imagination. The wooded areas, open heath, and winding paths provide the backdrop for Pooh’s honey hunts, Tigger’s bounces and Eeyore’s thoughtful sadness. It is a forest that feels alive, with a rhythm and character all of its own. Milne’s writing captures the subtle moods of the Sussex landscape, with its rising mists in the early morning, the sun catching on a pond and the quiet hush of a winter afternoon. Milne invites readers to experience the forest as a place of wonder and possibility.
The Forest is owned by the Ashdown Forest Trust, and managed by the Conservators of Ashdown Forest, protecting and preserving this beautiful wilderness for everyone. Visitors today can walk many of the trails that inspired Milne, from Pooh Bridge over the gentle stream to the open heath where Tigger might bounce unseen. The forest retains its quiet magic, a place where imagination and memory intertwine. It is a reminder that great literature often begins not with grand adventures, but with the simple act of noticing the world around us.
Ashdown Forest shows how Sussex has inspired writers to see the extraordinary in the everyday. Through Milne, a woodland path or a quiet pond became a world cherished by children and adults alike. It is a forest that continues to welcome dreamers, storytellers and wanderers, carrying the gentle footprints of Pooh and his friends through the trees.
Ashdown Forest has also featured prominently in adaptations of Milne’s stories. Filmmakers have returned repeatedly to the Sussex heath to capture the gentle charm and natural beauty that inspired the original tales.
From the live-action Christopher Robin (2018) [pictured] to various television adaptations, the forest’s winding paths, open heath and tranquil streams provide an authentic backdrop for Pooh’s adventures. Directors often emphasise the soft light filtering through the pines, the quiet expanses of grass, and the little nooks where a honey pot or a tiger might hide, keeping the spirit of Milne’s Sussex landscape at the heart of the storytelling. The forest is not just scenery, but a character in its own right, shaping the tone, mood and magic of each adaptation.
This entry continues our series on Writers in Sussex, exploring how the county’s landscapes and towns have inspired creative voices across generations, from novels to film, capturing both beauty and unease, comedy and sorrow, light and shadow.
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