One hundred years ago, a father and son set out from their home at Cotchford Farm near Hartfield for adventures on Ashdown Forest. What followed was nothing less than magical – a series of books containing stories of a boy, his bear, and his other stuffed friends with whom seemingly the whole world fell in love.
This year, as we look back 100 years to the publication of A.A. Milne’s first collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories in October 1926, we also look ahead to what the next 100 years will bring.
To mark this special centenary, Ashdown Forest has partnered with world-class creatives Trigger for ‘The Big One Hundred’, a series of cultural events that will include a giant mythical puppet, inspiring visitors to connect with this landscape of environmental and cultural significance and help protect it for the next 100 years.
Inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh, Trigger are creating a new tale for the Forest. This project is generously supported by Wealden District Council and The Ashdown Forest Foundation, bringing the Forest and its stories to audiences across the Wealden area and beyond.
From summer this year, visitors will be invited to explore the Forest and discover its newest inhabitant, a large-scale, mythical puppet creature inspired by the landscape and its unique species through a series of interactive performances. Its size is sure to amaze – it will take up to ten puppeteers to bring this wondrous creature to life!
Trigger will also tour the new puppet creature across the Wealden district in summer 2026, with dates and locations to be announced.
Five new walks will open in Ashdown Forest themed around different unique and threatened species native to the Forest, including the Dartford Warbler, the Silver-Studded Blue Butterfly, the Adder, the Tiger Beetle, and the Dormouse.
Help bring the new creature to life
Ashdown Forest and Trigger invite you to help bring the Forest’s new creature to life, by connecting children and young people with nature through play and imagination. Primary schools across Wealden will be offered free workshops, giving children the chance to draw their own version of the creature or write a story inspired by this new mythical creature.
Members of the public across the country can also get involved by suggesting a name for the creature and submitting their own drawings and stories. Submissions can be shared with Trigger by tagging @TriggerStuff on Instagram, emailing hello@triggerstuff.co.uk, or using the hashtag #TheBigOneHundred. For more information visit https://thebigonehundred.co.uk
The Ashdown Forest 100 Year Legacy Fund
The Ashdown Forest Foundation supports the Forest by raising awareness and funds for the Forest’s management and conservation. Inspired by Winne-the-Pooh’s birthday, the new 100 Year Legacy Fund has been established to support the Forest for the next 100 years, focusing on 4 key pillars:
Maintenance & Management
Conservation & Habitats
Community & Access
Landscape Strategy
Alongside the Big One Hundred Events over the coming year, we’ll be raising funds to fill the Forest’s honey pot, to keep it safe, protected and thriving for its habitats and the humans that live in and around it for the future. Join our newsletter to keep up with all the exciting events planned!
