Nusrat Ghani, MP for Sussex Weald, was honoured to join Her Majesty Queen Camilla, and Ashdown Forest CEO, staff and volunteers to mark Winnie-the-Pooh’s 100th birthday and unveil a new trail on the Ashdown Forest.
This year is the National Year of Reading and also marks the centenary of Hartfield resident A.A. Milne's books, first published in 1926 and inspired by the Ashdown Forest, nestled at the heart of Sussex Weald countryside.
As Patron of the Royal Literary Fund, Her Majesty visited the Forest to play “pooh sticks” with children’s authors, competition winners and local children. She then joined a small group of elected representatives, Ashdown Forest CEO, staff and volunteers, to officially open a new all-weather walking trail named Queen’s Walk at the memorial site to A.A. Milne and Winnie-the-Pooh original illustrator E.H. Shepard, located near Gills Lap.
The ceremony was completed with short readings from the Winnie-the-Pooh story by author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, and the cutting of a cake baked by the Forest Centre’s Karen Bowles.
Nusrat Ghani said: “The Ashdown Forest is the jewel of our countryside, and it was a huge privilege to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to join the celebrations of Winnie-the-Pooh centenary. This beautiful, timeless story has put our little corner of the world on the map, and it is an honour to represent Winnie-the-Pooh’s home in Parliament. I have been working closely with the Ashdown Forest CEO and Conservators on improvements to accessibility and I am delighted that the new ‘Queen’s Walk’ will ensure that everyone can spend time in this magical landscape and discover its treasures. As 2026 is also the National Year of Reading, I hope that together with this historic milestone for Winnie-the-Pooh, it will inspire readers of all ages to revisit this excellent classic.”
