I grew up in the real Hundred Acre Wood - here's my guide to Ashdown Forest

Winnie-the-Pooh stories began with a teddy bought from Harrods in 1921 and gifted to Christopher Robin by A.A. Milne. Milne told stories about a fictional Hundred Acre Wood based on woodland near their home, where Christopher Robin and his father walked and played. The bear’s 100-year milestone is marked by a Winnie-the-Pooh-inspired woodland weekend. Ashdown Forest offers downloadable maps for official Pooh Walks that reach notable locations from the books. Gill’s Lap is a circular stand of tall pine trees called “The Enchanted Place,” with panoramic views and a misty-day atmosphere. Visitors can look for the Heffalump Trap, a lone pine tree tied to the stories.

"Winnie-the-Pooh was a teddy bought from Harrods in 1921, gifted to the young Christopher Robin by his father, author A.A. Milne. Milne would tell his son stories about the much-loved bear who lived in Hundred Acre Wood - a fictional version of the woodland just outside their home, where they'd often walk and spend hours playing. These stories would eventually become one of the most enduring children's classics of all time."

"The Ashdown Forest website provides downloadable maps for two official short Pooh Walks that take visitors to all the notable locations from the books. First up is Gill's Lap (Galleons Lap in the books) - a circle of tall pine trees that Christopher Robin called "The Enchanted Place" because "nobody had ever been able to count whether it was sixty-three or sixty-four trees". The spot offers beautiful panoramic views across Ashdown Forest, which has a particularly magical atmosphere on misty days."

"As a child growing up in East Sussex, nothing felt more magical than a day spent in the woods. To me, woodlands were, and still are, places of endless wonder and adventure, with trees to climb, infinite hiding spots, dancing shadows, birdsong, and the mystery of what creatures might be hiding. As someone with a boundless imagination, the woods feel like an enchanted world to happily get lost in."

"Here's how to have a Winnie-the-Pooh-inspired woodland weekend. The best walks in Ashdown Forest The Ashdown Forest website provides downloadable maps for two official short Pooh Walks that take visitors to all the notable locations from the books."

Read at CN Traveller