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Time capsule celebrates 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh

Hannah Gray,in Hartfieldand
Josh McLaughlin,South East
News imageHannah Gray/BBC Schoolchildren line up for a photograph. They are holding DIY signs of Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and Owl from AA Milne's children's classic at the garden of Pooh Corner.Hannah Gray/BBC
Local schoolchildren were invited to add love letters to Pooh for the capsule

A time capsule has been buried at a tea room in East Sussex to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Winnie-the-Pooh book.

Pooh Corner in Hartfield said the memento to toast AA Milne's classic, first published on 14 October 1926, will be reopened in 100 years.

The capsule was filled with paraphernalia from across the year of celebrations, which included books, a rare Winnie-the-Pooh teapot, photos and letters to the bear from local schoolchildren.

Neil Reed, one of the tea room's owners, told BBC Radio Sussex: "The strange thing about it is you couldn't say 'draw me a Winnie-the-Pooh fan', it's everybody."

The story, which follows the gentle, honey-loving teddy bear modelled after the toy of the author's son, is set in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood.

It is a setting inspired by the real-life Ashdown Forest, where Milne had a county home.

"Every day there's a different person and generation on the forest walking around with their teddy bear, but they're all exploring those spots they know from the books," Reed said.

He said the tea room, which is also a gift shop and museum, had "seen people from all over the world" and been visited more than 250,000 times in 2026.

News imageHannah Gray/BBC Moeka Nakanishi and Abbie Wang sit at a table while enjoying refreshments from Pooh Corner. Moeka holds up her hands to show a collection of stuffed toys from characters in the series. Characters perched on the table include Rabbit, Roo, Tigger, Eeyore, Winnie-the-Pooh, Kanga and Owl. A Winnie-the-Pooh shaped tea cup sits on the table behind them.Hannah Gray/BBC
Moeka Nakanishi (left) and Abbie Wang wanted to visit Ashdown Forest for the special occasion

Moeka Nakanishi travelled from Tokyo in Japan for the 100th anniversary.

"I love Pooh bear and all his friends," she told the BBC.

Abbie Wang also travelled from Sydney in Australia.

"The characters are so loveable for every generation," she added.

Heather Parsons and Ray Berry, from Toronto in Canada, said they wanted to bring the stories from their childhoods to life.

"I wanted to walk in the footsteps of AA Milne and see for my own eyes the Hundred Acre Wood at Ashdown Forest," Parsons said.

News imageHannah Gray/BBC Neil Reed stands next to the time capsule and a large stuffed bear in the garden of Pooh Corner. A tapestry draped on a hedge behind him celebrates the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh. A small label at the bottom of the time capsule reads 'please do not touch the displays'.Hannah Gray/BBC
Reed said the time capsule should be dug up in 2126

Pooh Corner's time capsule ceremony was part of a year of events celebrating the world-famous bear and his ensemble of friends.

This included the Big One Hundred festival held in July and the opening of new walking routes in Ashdown Forest.

"It's amazing to see how many people experience the forest," Reed added.

He said Poohsticks Bridge had been popular all year, including with Queen Camilla who visited in July for a game of poohsticks.

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