Winnie the Pooh forest is marking a major milestone this year as Ashdown Forest celebrates 100 years of the beloved children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh. The forest in East Sussex, England, inspired AA Milne’s famous stories and continues to attract visitors from around the world. Families, walkers, and fans of the books now travel there to explore the real-life setting behind the Hundred Acre Wood. Ashdown Forest is a large area of heathland, covering about 6,500 acres. It sits within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and lies about 30 miles south of London. The forest is known for its open landscapes, sandy paths, and quiet woodland areas. One of its most famous spots is a small wooden bridge over a stream, known to visitors as Pooh Sticks Bridge. The game of Pooh Sticks, first described in the 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh, was played by AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin. It involves dropping sticks into the river and watching which one floats fastest downstream. Today, visitors still gather at the same bridge to play the game, making it one of the most popular attractions in the forest. To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the book, a series of cultural events will take place across the forest and nearby areas. These include guided walks, nature trails, and interactive performances. A special puppet character called the Curious Adventurer, brought to life by a team of puppeteers, will also appear in some events. New walking routes have been created to help visitors explore different parts of the forest. The Winnie the Pooh forest experience is closely linked to real places that inspired the original stories. Cotchford Farm, where AA Milne once lived, still stands near the forest and is now used as a holiday rental. Nearby, visitors can also see small features added by fans, such as a tiny red door in a tree that represents Piglet’s house. These details help bring the story world to life. Rangers in the forest say the popularity of Winnie the Pooh has helped protect the land. The forest contains rare lowland heath habitat, which is more endangered than tropical rainforest in some parts of the world. Because of public interest, conservation funding has been raised to help preserve the landscape. However, managing the forest is not easy. Over time, woodland has expanded into the open heath. In AA Milne’s time, only about 10% of the area was covered by trees. Today, that number has grown to around 40%. This change threatens the original open environment that inspired the books. Conservation teams now work to restore balance using grazing animals. Ponies, cattle, and sheep roam freely across the forest to help manage plant growth. They eat young trees and gorse, keeping the landscape open. Visitors often compare the animals to characters from the books, such as Eeyore, the slow and thoughtful donkey. Nearby villages also celebrate the Winnie the Pooh forest connection. One popular stop is a café and museum in Hartfield. It includes displays about AA Milne, his son Christopher Robin, and original illustrations by EH Shepard. Visitors can also learn about how Disney later adapted the stories for film and television. The museum highlights the real story behind the books. It shows personal items, old photographs, and early newspaper prints of Pooh stories first published in 1925. It also explains how the father-and-son relationship inspired much of the writing. Modern tourism in the Winnie the Pooh forest area also includes eco-friendly stays. Visitors can stay in wooden cabins designed to blend into nature. Many of these cabins encourage guests to disconnect from phones and enjoy the forest environment. Activities include forest walks, wildlife watching, and outdoor relaxation such as saunas and ice baths. One of the most unique aspects of Ashdown Forest is that it has not been overly commercialised. There are very few branded signs or cartoon figures. Instead, visitors find natural landscapes linked to locations from the books, such as sandy pits, open hills, and quiet clearings. This helps keep the forest close to its original feel. Local food and drink producers also benefit from the forest’s popularity. Honey, apple juice, and local wines are made using ingredients from the surrounding area. These products are often inspired by the natural setting that shaped the Winnie the Pooh stories. As the anniversary events continue, officials hope more visitors will support conservation efforts. Funding remains a challenge after earlier European grants ended. Tourism is now seen as a key way to protect the forest for future generations. The Winnie the Pooh forest remains a rare place where fiction and reality meet. It continues to offer a peaceful landscape that reflects the simple joy of the original stories. As visitors walk the same paths once used by AA Milne and his son, the forest still feels like a living storybook nearly a century later.