If you or your kids love Winnie the Pooh, a visit to the Ashdown Forest Winnie the Pooh Trail in East Sussex (home to the real-life Hundred Acre Wood) is a fantastic day out. From the charming Pooh Corner tearoom to the famous Pooh Sticks Bridge, this woodland walk is perfect for families.
This trail has to be the sweetest walk in the Ashdown Forest! In this post, I will share all you need to know about this Winnie the Pooh-inspired walk in the Ashdown Forest, including where to park, the adorable trail route and a review of the cute tea shop and museum, Pooh Corner. So read on!
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Getting to Ashdown Forest and Pooh Corner
The Ashdown Forest is located in Hartfield, East Sussex. The best way to get to the Winnie the Pooh trail is to drive to the Ashdown Forest. We found the best place to park is the Pooh Stick Bridge car park, off Chuck Hatch Lane. I’ve linked the Google Map location here. This is a free car park and also the closest one to the trail.
Pooh Corner is the name of the Winnie the Pooh-inspired tea room located close to the trail. There is also free parking on the road outside the cafe, but it does get busy! This is about two hours from London, in the South of England.
The cafe address is: Pooh Corner, High Street, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4AE. They are open 11-5 and 11-4 on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
What Is Winnie the Pooh’s Connection to Ashdown Forest?
In 1925, AA Milne bought a country house in the Ashdown Forest. This house, Cotchford Farm, was his city escape, and he would travel there from London to write in peace.
He was inspired by the woodland walks in the Ashdown Forest and loved to experience them with his son, Christopher Robin. This led him to create the Hundred Acre Wood and write the Winnie the Pooh stories. Many of the locations in the stories are real places, and you can visit them in the Winnie the Pooh woods. This includes the Pooh Stick Bridge and Pooh Corner, which was initially a sweet shop that Christopher Robin would visit.
POOH CORNER TEA SHOP | WINNIE THE POOH MUSEUM | PLAYING POOH STICKS ON THE BRIDGE
Walking the Winnie the Pooh Trail
When visiting the Ashdown Forest as a family, we found it nice to start with the Winnie the Pooh walk and finish in the tea room.
As I mentioned, we started at the car park off Chuck Hatch Lane, postcode: TN7 4EX. From there, it’s just a 15-minute walk to the Pooh Sticks Bridge. We decided not to take the pushchair, but you could do so on this route if you need to. The walk took us a lot longer than 15 minutes with two kids under 5, and on the way back, it’s uphill!
You can also start from Pooh Corner and walk a longer route. This way is across fields and styles, so not suitable for pushchairs.
THE ASHDOWN FOREST WINNIE THE POOH TRAIL MAP
As you walk down through the Ashdown Forest from the car park, you’ll be able to spot Owl and Piglet’s houses before arriving at Pooh Sticks Bridge.
No trip to the Ashdown Forest Winnie the Pooh Trail would be complete without a game of Pooh Sticks. Collect some sticks on the way down to the Pooh Sticks Bridge so you can play! We were here for a long time with the kids!
A few more minutes walk past the Pooh Sticks Bridge, you’ll find Winnie the Pooh’s House. It is the most adorable little house with a real Winnie the Pooh stuffie animal inside. Some people had even written letters and delivered them to his mailbox. My kids absolutely adored it!
Pooh Corner Tearoom, Museum and Shop
Originally a sweet shop Christopher Robin used to visit, this charming tea shop is well worth visiting. Pooh Corner is adorable, and the attention to detail in creating the Winnie the Pooh theme is just perfection. The food was also delicious, which I was surprised by.
They don’t accept reservations, and it can get busy. Usually busiest at opening time (11 am). When you arrive, you can put your name on the waitlist, and there is a small Winnie the Pooh Museum and a gift shop you can browse while you wait.
The cafe is well equipt for families with high chairs and baby changing. There is free parking on the street outside the cafe.
THE WINNIE THE POOH THEMERD AFTERNOON TEA AT POOH CORNER
Want the full Ashdown Forest Winnie the Pooh Experience?
I only found this out when writing this post, but you can stay at Cotchford Farm (AA Milne’s country house.) With six bedrooms, four bathrooms and a pool, this is the perfect place to base yourself while exploring the Ashdown Forest.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FARM AND BOOK!
Thank you for reading our guide to visiting the Ashdown Forest Winnie the Pooh Trail. I hope you enjoy exploring the Hundred Acre Wood!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
TIPS FOR VISITING DISNEYLAND PARIS
LEGOLAND WINDSOR REVIEW FOR TODLERS
OUR GUIDE TO CAMBRIDGE WITH KIDS
Happy Exploring,
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