A picturesque corner of East Sussex, celebrated globally as the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood, finds itself at the centre of a contentious national debate. The Ashdown Forest and nearby town of Crowborough have been thrust into the spotlight for two starkly different reasons.
Pooh's Centenary vs. Public Spending Concerns
On Tuesday, the New York Times placed this area 22nd in its prestigious '52 Places to Go in 2026' list, marking it as the top UK destination. The accolade comes as the region prepares to celebrate the centenary of A.A. Milne's beloved bear, with a programme of events focused on Cotchford Farm, Milne's 16th-century home, and the surrounding forest.
However, the planned festivities have sparked local controversy. Wealden District Council has earmarked approximately £450,000 for the centenary celebrations. At a recent council meeting, Councillor Ann Newton questioned the scale of this spending, stating she had 'nothing against Winnie-the-Pooh' but described the funding as excessive. Residents have called for the money to be spent on restoring the town's CCTV cameras, which were switched off over a year ago.
Army Camp Closure Fuels Immigration Dispute
Simultaneously, the area is bracing for a major change. The Home Office plans to house up to 600 male asylum seekers at a former Army Training Camp in Crowborough this year. The Daily Mail revealed the camp was closed last month after more than 80 years of use, with army cadets ordered to leave over safety concerns.
The decision has led to significant local opposition. Thousands of residents marched through Crowborough on Sunday in the ninth protest since the plans were announced last October. Neighbouring properties are reported to have spent thousands on home security, and building work at the site has continued daily.
A Forest of Contrasting Futures
The dual narratives present a stark contrast for Ashdown Forest. On one hand, it is being promoted internationally as 'Winnie-the-Pooh's England', a bucolic tourist destination expecting an influx of international visitors for its centenary. The New York Times even highlighted a planned art installation by the charity Trigger, where a mythical creature will 'pop up around the heathland'.
On the other, it is a community grappling with the practical and political implications of a national immigration policy. The forest, a real-life idyll that inspired fictional childhood adventures, now surrounds a site at the heart of a heated national debate on asylum accommodation.
While the New York Times list was topped by 'Revolutionary America' for the USA's 250th anniversary, for the residents of Crowborough and the Ashdown Forest, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by a very modern and deeply local conflict.
