Ashdown Forest Pooh Walk

0.9 miles (1.5 km)

This short walk visits some of the places made famous in A.A Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories.
The walk starts from the Gills Lap car park (Postcode:TN22 3JD) located where Chuck Hatch Road and Kid's Hill meet. The area around Gills Lap has some lovely trails with great views over the forest from the elevated position. On the way you'll pass a clump of trees near a trig point called 'Enchanted Place' where Christopher Robin could sit down here without getting prickled, unlike the rest of the forest! You'lll also pass a memorial plaque, unveiled by Christopher Robin in 1979, commemorating the work of A. A. Milne and EH Shepard, the illustrator. Milne once wrote of Ashdown Forest: 'In that enchanted place on the top of the forest a little boy and his bear will always be playing.'
The trail also passes a hollow thought to be the cunning trap Pooh used to capture that rare beast, the Heffalump. A disused quarry is thought to represent the Roo's sandy pit in the stories.
You can extend the walk by heading east to Five Hundred Acre Wood which corresponds to Hundred Acre Wood in the book. Pooh went to visit Owl for for advice on the subject of Eeyore's lost tail. If you head a short distance north to Chuck Hatch you can try the short stroll to Pooh Sticks Bridge. It's thought to be the location where authour A.A Milne and his son first played the game which appears in the book�'The House at Pooh Corner'.
You can continue your walking by picking up are longer circular walk around Ashdown Forest. This uses a section of the long distance Wealdway which runs through the forest. You can follow the waymarked trail from the village of Hartfield where Milne bought the country home of Cotchford Farm in 1925. See the Hartfield Winnie the Pooh Walk for more details.
The Vanguard Way waymarked trail runs through Gills Lap too. Following it north west will take you to Newbridge and Forest Row.

Postcode

TN22 3JD - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Ashdown Forest Pooh Walk Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Ashdown Forest Pooh Walk Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Ashdown Forest Pooh Walk OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Ashdown Forest Pooh Walk Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The circular Forest Row Walk visits the nearby Weir Wood Reservoir before heading to the northern edge of the forest. The large reservoir has a nice waterside rail running alongside it.
Head a few miles to the west and you could pick up the Chelwood Vachery Walk. The peaceful circular route explores an ancient estate which includes the pretty Millbrook Stream and Braberry Hatch Ponds.
For more walking ideas in the area see the High Weald Walks page.