Half of all profits from the sale of this unique and limited run of books are donated to The Ashdown Forest Foundation.
Filled with over 100 beautiful photographs of Ashdown Forest taken by local wedding photographer, Craig Payne, “Ashdown Forest: Through the Seasons” is available to buy online or in person from the Ashdown Forest Centre in Wych Cross. To whet your appetite, a small selection of the images can be seen throughout this website.
Craig’s dream to document Ashdown Forest through photography became a reality during the Covid pandemic.
When the book was published in 2022, Craig explained: “As we entered the first lockdown and my couples postponed their weddings, I began to explore Ashdown Forest more and more. A dream of documenting the landscape throughout the year began to become more of a reality and fast forward two years, the result is a series of limited edition prints and a beautiful coffee table book!
Ashdown Forest inspired the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh, it is the home to rare heathland specialist species and provides an escape to so many during these uncertain times. It stands as a place we can visit with friends, somewhere we can loose ourselves in and a beautiful space where we can admire the beauty of nature. As a wilderness it embraces the harshest of winter storms and the warmest of summer days and this project looks at everything we love about it.”
The book’s text, which gives depth to the photos, was written by James Adler, then CEO of the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. Also included in the book is an illustrated map of Ashdown Forest with plotted points and what3word grid references so the reader can visit the majority of the scenes in the book.
Launch of the book at the Ashdown Park Hotel
The book was launched on 13th November 2022 in front of a sold-out audience a sold-out audience at the Ashdown Park Hotel. Organised as a fundraiser for the Ashdown Forest Foundation, Craig and James discussed the project and the book with host, BBC presenter and broadcaster Katie Derham. The evening also featured a exhilarating performance by Icon Strings of The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.
The former chapel at the Ashdown Park hotel provided a stunning setting for the launch of the book
Front row from left to right: Beth Morgan (Vice Chair, TAFF), Craig Payne, Katie Derham, James Adler, Robin St Clair Jones (Chair, TAFF); Back row: Icon Strings quartet, with solo violinist Martyn Jackson in the centre.
This video presents an overview of the memorable evening.
Video production: David Painter, HUTC
