A corner of the English countryside locked in a bitter row over plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers was on Tuesday named by the New York Times as its top UK destination for 2026 – because of its links to Winnie-the-Pooh.
The Ashdown Forest and nearby town Crowborough, in East Sussex, are bracing for the arrival of up to 600 male migrants this year under Home Office accommodation plans.
In preparation, the Daily Mail revealed the Army Training Camp set to house the asylum seekers was closed last month after more than 80 years.
The army cadets who had been using the site based on the Ashdown Forest were ordered to leave over safety concerns.
But it’s now been ranked in 22nd place – and No.1 UK spot – in the American paper’s influential 52 Places to Go in 2026 list.
They praise ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’s England’ as it prepares to mark 100 years since A.A. Milne introduced the beloved bear – highlighting Cotchford Farm on the Ashdown Forest and a programme of centenary events expected to draw international visitors.
They say: ‘A century ago, the author A.A. Milne introduced the world to Winnie-the-Pooh. This year, centenary celebrations abound across England. The focal point will be in East Sussex, where Milne lived in a 16th-century farmhouse with his wife and son, Christopher Robin, who played there with his stuffed bear.
‘Just beyond lies the real-life inspiration for the fictional Hundred Acre Wood: Ashdown Forest, where this summer, courtesy of the charity Trigger, a mythical creature will pop up around the heathland, feeding on bracken and gorse.’
‘Winnie-the-Pooh’s England’ came 22nd in the New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2026. The story’s fictional Hundred Acre Wood is inspired by the Ashdown Forest, which surrounds the town of Crowborough
The Daily Mail revealed the Army Training Camp in Crowborough was closed last month after more than 80 years as ministers and officials are understood to be preparing the military base to house up to 600 male migrants this year
The decision to house asylum seekers at the Army base has led to widespread protests in the East Sussex town
The Daily Mail has also reported how the local council has earmarked around £450,000 for the centenary celebrations although residents have called for the money to be spent on restoring the town’s CCTV cameras, which were quietly switched off more than a year ago.
The issue was raised at a recent Wealden District Council meeting, where councillors questioned whether the scale of spending on Pooh-themed events was appropriate at a time of heightened local concern.
Councillor Ann Newton said she had ‘nothing against Winnie-the-Pooh’ but described the funding as excessive given other pressures. ‘We don’t have an ideal situation, and it just seems an awful lot of money,’ she said.
Thousands marched through Crowborough on Sunday – the ninth protest against the plans since the Home Office announcement was made last October.
Residents say building work has continued daily at the camp, with neighbouring properties spending thousands of pounds on home security.
The top spot on the New York Times list went to Revolutionary America to celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary. Warsaw in Poland, Bangkok in Thailand, Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica and Bandhavgarh in India, made up the top 5.
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Wish Pooh were here? New York Times names top spot in UK – next to camp earmarked for 600 asylum seekers