Further details have been announced for The Big One Hundred, a large-scale programme of cultural celebrations marking 100 years since A.A. Milne’s Winnie-The-Pooh, inspired by Ashdown Forest and the original Hundred Acre Wood.
Created and produced by Trigger, the project launches with an opening weekend in Ashdown Forest on 18 and 19 July 2026, inviting audiences to take part in nature-based activities, interactive performances and outdoor exploration across the iconic landscape.
At the heart of the celebrations is an ‘Explorer Day’, where visitors are encouraged to connect with the forest through crafts, games, workshops and encounters with a giant mythical puppet creature inspired by the endangered species that live in Ashdown Forest.
Following the opening weekend, the puppet and explorer programme will tour across the Wealden district during the school summer holidays, bringing the experience to communities beyond the forest itself.
Tour dates include Hailsham Town Centre on 26 July, Sheffield Park and Garden on 1 August, Uckfield’s Weald on the Field on 8 August, and Herstmonceux Castle on 22 and 23 August.
The creative team includes Trigger’s Creative Director Angie Bual, who is collaborating with costume designer Jack Irving on the giant puppet, alongside Olivier Award winner Laura Cubitt as puppetry director and Oliver Hymans as puppetry consultant.
Angie Bual said: “This is a chance for children and adults alike to step into the enchanting landscape where Christopher Robin once played, and to discover more about this extraordinary Forest and its rich, protected wildlife. We’re especially excited to take this project beyond the Ashdown Forest and across the district, bringing the magic Ashdown on tour, so that communities across the district can connect with the natural world right on their doorstep.”
All events are free to attend, but advance booking is required. Priority booking opens for Wealden residents on 18 May, with general public booking available from 26 May.
More information can be found here.
