Ashdown Forest

Ashdown Forest is a sweeping expanse of heathland and woodland covering some 6,500 acres of the High Weald in East Sussex. Originally a medieval royal hunting forest, it remains one of the largest free public access spaces in the south east, criss-crossed by sandy tracks, gorse-fringed ridges and open heath that turns purple with heather in late summer.

The forest is famously the setting for A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and visitors can follow the path from the Gills Lap car park to the Enchanted Place, the Heffalump Trap area, and the much-loved Poohsticks Bridge near Posingford Wood. The landscape that inspired E. H. Shepard's illustrations is still recognisable today, with views stretching across the Weald towards the South Downs.

Walkers, riders and birdwatchers come for the wildlife as much as the literary connections. The heath supports Dartford warblers, nightjars, stonechats and silver-studded blue butterflies, while fallow deer roam the wooded valleys. The Ashdown Forest Centre at Wych Cross provides maps, exhibitions on the forest's natural and cultural history, and a starting point for several of the best walks.