The Big One Hundred: Celebrating The Centenary Of Winnie-The-Pooh

Perhaps the world’s most beloved bear (no offence to a certain Peruvian bear… you’re cool too), the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh have brought life and love into our homes for a century.

What you may not have realised is that these wonderful, whimsical stories that have captured the heart of many were in fact created in the heart of Wealden. A.A. Milne, who lived near Ashdown Forest, was inspired by the landscape during his adventures with his son Christopher Robin – and so Ashdown Forest came to life as the Hundred Acre Wood.

But far more than simply being Winnie-the-Pooh’s home, Ashdown Forest is an extremely unique heathland landscape. Rarer than a tropical rainforest (in deepest Peru… sorry I will stop now), this Site of Special Scientific Interest is also home to some of Europe’s most threatened and endangered species, which the Conservators of Ashdown Forest painstakingly care for and work to protect.

To mark these 100 years of creativity and conservation, Ashdown Forest is partnering with the world-class Trigger creatives for an exciting brand-new project, The Big One Hundred: a joyful celebration of the Forest itself and the beginning of a new tale.

With support from Wealden District Council, the celebration will be centred around Ashdown Forest’s natural wildlife and landscapes. The programme launches across Wealden over the weekend of Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th July, inspiring visitors to connect and support this environmentally and culturally significant landscape.

Following the opening weekend, the puppet and explorer programme of activities and events will tour iconic sites in Wealden across the summer holidays: including Hailsham Town Centre, Sheffield Park and Garden, Uckfield’s Weald on the Field, and Herstmonceux Castle. Check out the event pages below for further details.

On these ‘Explorer Days’, you can learn more about the Forest’s nature and wildlife by becoming an explorer yourself; join in the fun by collecting stamps for your explorer packs through exciting nature-based activities including crafts, games and workshops. Along the way, you might even spot and interact with the Forest’s newest inhabitant – a giant mythical puppet creature inspired by Ashdown Forest and its rare wildlife.

It’s bringing some of the very best industry experts to Wealden. Trigger are an award-winning team of creatives renowned for producing bold, boundary-pushing work on a spectacular scale, including The Hatchling – a city-scale flying dragon that captivated audiences in Plymouth, Wakefield, and even the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

For The Big One Hundred, Creative Director Angie Bual is collaborating with renowned artist and costume designer Jack Irving to create the mystical puppet creature taking over the Forest. Known for his bold wearable art and public installations, Irving has previously collaborated with artists including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and the Spice Girls (yes, we are very excited about this).

The giant puppet creature will be operated by 8–10 people simultaneously; an ambitious and rarely attempted approach that pushes the boundaries of live performance, costume and puppetry. The creative team also includes Olivier Award Winning Theatre Maker Laura Cubitt, and Oliver Hymans, Associate Director at Little Angel Theatre.

What’s more, six new themed walks will be launched this summer, to help people explore more of the extraordinary landscape of Ashdown Forest. Based on Ashdown’s special species, the walks include: the Dartford Warbler, the Nightjar, the Tiger Beetle, the Adder, the Dormouse and the Silver Studded Blue Butterfly.

The programme is taking inspiration from the landscape that has inspired writers for generations – from Milne to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and poet Fiona Sampson – to encourage people to connect with the Forest and shine a light on the urgent need to protect this magnificent landscape. The real Christopher Robin gained a deep connection with the Forest and its conservation through spending his childhood there, so what’s to say the next generation can’t do the same?

The Big One Hundred is not only here to celebrate the stories created in the Forest, but to invite everyone to help write the Forest’s next chapter. Through interactive performances, heathland walks and nature-based activities, the programme will highlight the side of the Forest often disregarded or forgotten by the usual visitor; its one-of-a-kind and ever-important environmental impact.

We’ve had 100 wonderful years of Winnie-the-Pooh – now let’s help protect his home for the next 100 years.

*Tickets for the opening weekend will open to public booking on the 26^th May at 10am. If you’re a lucky Wealden resident, you can sign up to receive early access on the The Big One Hundred’s mailing list.