Sussex time capsule celebrates 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh

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.