Cotchford Farm was the home of Winnie-the-Pooh, the legendary bear. A.A. Milne bought the house, in the beautiful village of Hartfield, 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.
“My spelling is wobbly. It’s good spelling but it wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.”
― Winnie-the-Pooh
Meet Christopher Robin and Owl
In May 2026, the owners are very generously opening the gardens to the public in support of Ashdown Forest (on the weekend of May 16-17). On display at this gorgeous 16th century farmhouse will be a previously unseen sketch of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator Ernest Howard Shepard. Recently put on sale by Shepard’s family, one of nine rare sketches has been bought by Neil Reed, the owner of Pooh Corner in Hartfield and an Ambassador for The Ashdown Forest Foundation.
Neil will also have a ‘Pop Up Pooh Corner’ including letters written by AA Milne and his wife Daphne at Cotchford Farm. There will also be Pooh bears for sale.
All funds from this event will support The Ashdown Forest Foundation, the charitable arm of the Conservators of Ashdown Forest tasked with raising funds to ensure the best possible future for the Forest. There are two sessions on each of the two days – 10am to 1pm and then 2pm to 5pm on both Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17. Tickets cost £15 per person, per session. Please note that the ticket includes access to the gardens only. There is no access to the house.
Beverages and light refreshments will be available to purchase. The East Grinstead Bookshop will be bringing a pop-up bookshop to the event, offering a range of Pooh-related books for readers of all ages. There will also be a raffle and an opportunity to bid in a silent auction for a unique painting that is being created by artist Sue Holpin to commemorate the weekend.
Please note that due to the nature of the landscaping of the gardens, wheelchair and pushchair access is not available. No dogs please. To book, go to The Ashdown Forest Foundation – Cotchford Farm Open Gardens 16-17 May 2026.
Tickets are non-refundable. If the organisers cancel the event, the ticket price will be refunded.
If you’ve enjoyed this post about Winnie the Pooh, you may also like:
