Latest news with #AshdownForest
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stunning 100 acre estate in 'prime Winnie the Pooh country' on sale for £5.5m
A stunning country estate in "prime Winnie the Pooh country" is on sale for £5,500,000. The property, known as Top Hill Farm, is in Hartfield, on the edge of Ashdown Forest. The stories of Winnie the Pooh were inspired by A.A. Milne's adventures through the forest with his son Christopher Robin. Top Hill Farm, a part of this cherished landscape, has now been listed by Savills after being in the same ownership for the last 35 years. The estate comprises a main house, an external office or playroom, and various facilities including stables, a barn and a recently rebuilt indoor riding arena. The estate covers more than 100 acres (Image: Savills) There is also a two-bedroom detached lodge cottage, a granny flat above the garage, and a one-bedroom annexe. While Winnie the Pooh took place in the fictional setting 100 Acre Wood, Top Hill Farm contains 100 acres of its own. Surrounding the main house is 100 acres of land, including paddocks, gardens, a walled water garden, a private pool area and woodlands. Savills director Edward Wain-Heapy said: "Top Hill Farm is in prime Winnie the Pooh country, and with its very own 100 acres, offers an incoming family a lifetime full of adventures. "The main house has the most spectacular views across Ashdown Forest, and its accommodation could be adapted to suit a buyer's requirements. The property borders on Ashdown Forest (Image: Savills) "In what is the centenary year of Winnie the Pooh first being published as a story in the London Evening News, this sale provides an exciting opportunity for someone to take on a country estate in a special and sought-after East Sussex location." The main house is described as "generously proportioned" and "ideal for family living". It is situated up a long private driveway in an elevated position with "lovely views to the rear" and away from neighbours. Read more: Arrest as 'scruffy' looking man commits indecent act outside Tesco I dressed up as a medieval maiden for an immersive festival - and I'm converted Vineyard which produced 'England's first sparkling wine' on sale for £1,500,000 The ground floor accommodation includes a sitting room, drawing room, snug, formal dining room, kitchen breakfast room and a study—all dual aspect rooms. The first floor has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a fourth bathroom on the second floor. In total, the land amounts to about 104 acres, predominantly of fenced paddocks, but with beautiful mature gardens which surround the main house, including a partially walled water garden and a yew-hedge enclosed and private pool area.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Warning fires could kill forest's rare butterflies
Ashdown Forest conservators have warned a protected butterfly species colony could be "completely wiped out" if wildfires hit the site's heathland. The organisation that cares for the East Sussex forest said a recent survey had recorded "the highest single day count in more than five years" of silver-studded blue butterflies. But ahead of forecasted warm weather, Ashdown Forest's head of countryside Ash Walmsley said the species' habitat was "extremely vulnerable" to fire. "We want to do everything we can to protect them and to do that we need everyone's help," he said. Mr Walmsley added Ashdown Forest was "one of only a handful of places that has sustainable colonies" of silver-studded blues. According to The Wildlife Trusts, the "rare" species is "restricted to close-knit colonies in southern England and Wales". Wildfires destroyed swathes of Ashdown Forest - famed as the location for the Winnie the Pooh books by AA Milne - in 2019. The conservators' warning followed fire crews in Dorset declaring a major incident on Saturday and evacuating 20 homes because of two large heath fires. East Sussex Fire & Rescue launched a public information campaign in July, warning people to "take precautions" to prevent wildfires. The service's advice included disposing of cigarettes and litter properly, only using designated barbecue areas, and safely storing flammable material at home. Tim Bamford, south east regional director of the Country Land and Business Association, said outdoor spaces were currently a "tinderbox". He asked the public to "use common sense" and be particularly aware of wildfire risks. "Wildfires can be incredibly damaging and it's the speed that they happen that is so scary," he added. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Major incident declared as crews tackle two blazes Fourth summer heatwave to begin, with temperatures surging to 34C Fire breaks out in Winnie the Pooh wood Related internet links Ashdown Forest Country Land and Business Association East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
BBC News
10-08-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Ashdown Forest warns wildfire could destroy rare butterfly colony
Ashdown Forest conservators have warned a protected butterfly species colony could be "completely wiped out" if wildfires hit the site's organisation that cares for the East Sussex forest said a recent survey had recorded "the highest single day count in more than five years" of silver-studded blue ahead of forecasted warm weather, Ashdown Forest's head of countryside Ash Walmsley said the species' habitat was "extremely vulnerable" to fire."We want to do everything we can to protect them and to do that we need everyone's help," he said. Mr Walmsley added Ashdown Forest was "one of only a handful of places that has sustainable colonies" of silver-studded to The Wildlife Trusts, the "rare" species is "restricted to close-knit colonies in southern England and Wales".Wildfires destroyed swathes of Ashdown Forest - famed as the location for the Winnie the Pooh books by AA Milne - in conservators' warning followed fire crews in Dorset declaring a major incident on Saturday and evacuating 20 homes because of two large heath Sussex Fire & Rescue launched a public information campaign in July, warning people to "take precautions" to prevent service's advice included disposing of cigarettes and litter properly, only using designated barbecue areas, and safely storing flammable material at Bamford, south east regional director of the Country Land and Business Association, said outdoor spaces were currently a "tinderbox".He asked the public to "use common sense" and be particularly aware of wildfire risks."Wildfires can be incredibly damaging and it's the speed that they happen that is so scary," he added.
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Saving Britain's precious habitats from invasive grasses
Regarding George Monbiot's article (There's an invader turning huge swathes of Britain into deserts – and these dead zones are spreading, 9 June), yes, molinia (purple moor-grass) is a serious scourge of many of the UK's acidic upland landscapes. In 1999, while still residing in my home county of East Sussex, I began a conservation grazing initiative using Exmoor ponies to combat the growing threat to the South Downs' chalk grasslands from a very similar grass, Brachypodium (tor grass), which back then I estimated was affecting well in excess of 200 hectares. This grass is of little use to farmers and also seriously depletes biodiversity. In 2004, we began to get increasingly involved with the extensive acid grasslands in the high, acid heath and grasslands of the Ashdown Forest area, involving four different landowners – Sussex Wildlife Trust, Sussex Police Authority, the Ministry of Defence and the Conservators of Ashdown. Here, pony grazing was mainly to combat the rampant spread of molinia. The most spectacular result was on the MoD's 200-hectare training area, which had not been grazed within living memory. This was transformed from mainly thick molinia to open swards within several years of grazing 32 Exmoors year-round. It also minimised the previous extensive fires caused by army pyrotechnics. I too consider the rampant spread of these two grass species as being due to nitrogen pollution, aided to a lesser extent by less grazing. I retired in 2017, then running 85 ponies. Today in East Sussex, there are in the region of 150 Exmoors carrying on what I initiated a quarter of a century LarkinSt Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire Having been an upland farmer for half a century, I share George Monbiot's concerns about the growing domination of molinia in some regions. However, a century ago, Robert Wallace, professor of agriculture and rural economy at Edinburgh University, explained in his book, Heather and Moor Burning for Grouse and Sheep, that control of this plant can be ensured through the time-honoured combination of rotational winter-burning and active shepherding. These ancient skills ensured that the growth of molinia was checked by managing the flock to graze off its early-spring shoots. After the animals had been moved to their in-bye lambing fields, the moor's later-emerging, more fragile plants were able to thrive. To prevent neglected moors from turning into lifeless deserts of overgrown molinia and tick-infested bracken, perhaps we should be paying more attention to the wisdom of our Harrison Snitter, Northumberland Far from crowding out other plants and wildlife, purple moor-grass is in fact a key indicator of an increasingly rare habitat – known in Devon as culm grassland and in Wales as rhôs pasture – that is home to rare plants like devil's-bit scabious and butterflies such as the marsh fritillary, which depends on it for food and reproduction. On our former farm in north-west Devon, we now manage the land precisely to protect this highly threatened ecosystem. George Monbiot is right to point out that walking over such land is far from easy, owing to the plant's tussocky nature, but I suggest he takes a leaf out of Devon Wildlife Trust's excellent short film about the culm, Never Mind the Tussocks (Here's the Wildlife). He might learn something NeweyPancrasweek, Devon Re molinia grass sucking the life out of biodiversity, the solution is hiding in plain sight: England's last semi-wild pony population – the iconic Dartmoor hill ponies. Studies, tests and surveys published in prestigious scientific journals confirm that Dartmoor semi-wild ponies not only eat molinia, but are also perfectly adapted over millennia of roaming Dartmoor to thrive in the highest and harshest parts where that job is needed most. George Monbiot and the campaigner Tony Whitehead should not despair for Dartmoor biodiversity. Instead, they should focus their efforts on asking Defra to ensure its policies nurture and sustain the number of Dartmoor hill ponies, and biodiversity will be burgeoning here once FaulknerDartmoor Hill Pony Association
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Winnie the Pooh forest culling scheme donates 170,000 meals
About 170,000 meals have been donated to foodbanks, community kitchens and homeless shelters through a deer culling scheme in East the most recent season, between November and March, 884 fallow doe were culled in Ashdown Forest, made famous by AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh and his fictional home Thomas, chief executive of food poverty charity The Country Food Trust, said: "Protein is the most expensive food group, it's therefore the least likely to be donated to a foodbank."Animal rights group Peta said the deer population did not need to be managed and that culling caused a "rebound" as it led to a spike in the food supply for the surviving animals. The most recent season was the first time the meat had been donated through The Country Food Trust, with almost 70 foodbanks benefiting, the charity has already been agreed that the scheme will continue during the next culling are culled as over-grazing can prevent the regeneration of woodland, which can have a knock-on impact on other species - including dormice and butterflies, the charity Thomas said there were an estimated two million deer in the country and 750,000 needed to be culled every year in order to keep the population under control. At the start of 2024, the deer population in Ashdown Forest was estimated to be three-times higher than what it should have Thomas said: "By us culling 884 fallow does, it's the equivalent of saving 40,000 deer being on the land in the next 10 years."The charity has been in talks with other locations across the UK to see if similar food donation schemes can be put in place."I'm making sure that the food goes to people in need," Ms Thomas added. A Peta spokesperson said: "If killing actually reduced animal populations, lethal methods wouldn't be proposed year after year. "Humans owe it to these gentle animals, whose habitat has been taken from them, to find humane, sustainable methods of population control – and that doesn't mean gunning them down and using them as sandwich filler."The Ashdown Forest Trust has been contacted for a comment.
