“This warm and sunny spot belongs to Pooh, And here he wonders what it's time to do"
– Sundial inscription at Cotchford Farm
Wuthering Heights and the Yorkshire Dales; Peter Pan and Kensington Gardens; Gerald Durrell and Corfu… There is a world of literature – from murder mysteries to literary classics – that owes its existence to a profound sense of place.
It is through visiting such places that we have the joy of adding life and depth to these literary landscapes, while gaining a truer appreciation of how and why their authors chose to write about them when they did.
Nowhere could be more emblematic of this than Cotchford Farm, the historical property that captivated Winnie-the-Pooh author A A Milne so much that he bought it as a retreat for himself, his wife and son in the mid-1920s. Following substantial renovations, Cotchford – set in the idyllic Ashdown Forest – soon became an indelible part of the family’s lives: rather than taking possession of the house, in the words of Christopher Robin, “It was Cotchford that took possession of us."
“To A A Milne, this magical house set within quintessentially English country gardens designed by his wife Daphne became both home and inspiration for the rest of his life”
– Tour Director Caroline Hopkinson-Woolley
Pooh Sticks Bridge
“Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It."
– From When We Were Very Young
The acres of peaceful grounds, commissioned by Daphne Milne, stir with the echoes of Milne’s imagination and the time he spent here with his family, from the statue of Christopher Robin to a sundial carved with images of Piglet, Tigger and Roo. Stepping inside the farmhouse with its quirky U-shaped structure, we will be greeted by sensitively restored features including timber beams, inglenook fireplaces, an oak-panelled dining room and library, alongside charming nods to its former owners – from Pooh prints and first editions to the staircase that inspired Milne’s lovely childhood poem Halfway Down.
We hope you will join us for what promises to be a very special anniversary tour, as we celebrate the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Children’s Literary Classics: Winnie-the-Pooh at 100
June 22 - 26, 2026
with Caroline Hopkinson-Woolley
As the world celebrates the centenary of the publication of A A Milne’s beloved classic Winnie-the-Pooh in 2026, there could be no better year to rediscover the landscape that inspired its creator. Our tour will immerse travellers in the entrancing world of Christopher Robin and the animals who famously inhabit Hundred Acre Wood, alongside other important works of children’s fiction inspired by the natural environment.
