Winnie-the-Pooh gardens open for rare public visit

Private gardens at the former home of Winnie-the-Pooh author AA Milne are opening this weekend to raise money for conservation in Ashdown Forest, where the stories were set.

Cotchford Farm, near Hartfield village in Sussex, where Milne lived with his son Christopher Robin, will welcome visitors on Saturday and Sunday to raise funds for the Ashdown Forest Foundation.

Robin St Clair Jones, chairman of the foundation, said the event offered a "very rare opportunity" to explore the gardens, which are not normally accessible to the public.

He said the gardens still had statues and memorabilia from when the property was owned by Milne, and the wisteria and plants would be "looking at their best".

He said the idea was to inspire future generations to take an interest in natural outdoor spaces and the storytelling behind the books, amid celebrations this year to mark 100 years since their publication.

"Just the storytelling, wandering around the places where AA Milne wrote the books and the Heffalump Trap - all these wonderful places that you can go and visit, which are real places - the Hundred Acre Wood, it's all there," he said.

All proceeds will go towards protecting Ashdown Forest, helping to fund conservation work, wildlife protection and public access.

"We desperately need funds to protect the wildlife, to protect the rare flora and fauna and to manage 10 square miles of natural space where you can wander freely," he said.

He said people could wander anywhere in the forest, but it required significant management and support from volunteers.

As well as access to the gardens, the weekend includes stalls, refreshments and fundraising activities.

Tickets are sold out for this weekend and there is a waiting list for a further event in September.

St Clair Jones said: "I think it's going to be highly unlikely we'll be doing this again any time soon. It's only thanks to the generosity of the owners of Cotchford Farm that we were able to do these two events."

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