Cotchford Farm is an old building and the fact that it once belonged to not just one but two iconic figures from the last century makes taking it on a daunting prospect. You are not just restoring a home, but preserving a notable piece of cultural history. Such was the situation the current owners and their family found themselves in. “We had been looking to relocate from London,” they explain, “After two years of searching, we got the train down, met the owners and went from there.”

In 1924 another family had fallen under Cotchford’s spell, also looking for a retreat, somewhere soothing to escape to from their busy London life. This was once A. A. Milne’s country home, where he and his family lived for over 30 years, where he wrote Winnie-the-Pooh, and other stories, and where – forty years later – Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones met his untimely end. This house is right on the edge of Ashdown Forest, aka The Hundred Acre Wood. We are on hallowed ground.

Milne’s son Christopher Robin remembered arriving there all those years ago, little knowing the effect it would have on their lives, but sensing how special the house and the surroundings were:

“Cotchford was different. Cotchford was ours, and on an autumn morning we drove down to take possession. No, I have got it wrong. It was Cotchford that took possession of us.”
From Christopher Robin’s memoir Enchanted Places

Cotchford Farm is Grade II listed, with obvious historical significance. “The original structure was built around 1540,” the current owners say. “The house was progressively added on to over the years. It went horizontally at first, and then ended up as a U-shaped dwelling.” Timber framed, with red brick infill on the ground floor, where once there was wattle and daub, the main part of the house is three storeys high, with a double height wing and single storey kitchen extension – making the quirky U-shape around a small courtyard.

“At the turn of the century the building was occupied by multiple families. Then came A. A. Milne and it became a single family dwelling during Milne’s tenure.”
Inside, the house has a split-level drawing room with inglenook fireplace, and views over the garden to the east and south and the courtyard to the north. There is also an oak-panelled dining room on the ground floor. Upstairs are six bedrooms, four on the first level and two above on the second floor.

The Milnes carried out a substantial amount of work during their time, adding the kitchen and refurbishing, in order to create a family home. The swimming pool was installed by the next owners and, after that, Cotchford was bought by Brian Jones. In true psychedelic fashion, Jones installed coloured lighting and replaced some of the windows with stained glass. He lived here during a tumultuous time, that saw his split from the band, and met his tragic end, drowning in the pool aged just 27.

Unfortunately the materials used to repair and update the house in the twentieth century were doing more harm than good to its structure and the house was run down when the current owners took possession. “The house had lovely flow with a wholesome feel,” they explain. “The gardens were beautiful, but the house needed lots of TLC. We bought it because we loved it, but we invested in a significant undertaking – we are cultural custodians as much as owners of this place.”

It was clear that if they were to preserve the house for posterity, a major refurbishment would be needed. “We spent a long time planning the restoration, so that it could be preserved for generations to come. We had to undo a lot of damage. After two years contemplating we rolled up our sleeves and set to work.”

They installed underfloor heating, replaced floors with reclaimed wooden floorboards and replaced cement with lime mortar to help the building breathe. The exposed beams were ice-blasted, a process required as part of the listing, that freezes and cleans the beams, then uses air to extract the debris.

They rewired and re-plastered, then painted throughout with breathable paints and distemper, in soft and understated colours of muted tones, mainly from Farrow & Ball and Earthborn.
It is easy to skip through these endeavours in a sentence or two, but in reality this sort of work entails channelling into walls, making dust, mess and general upheaval – for weeks on end. Added to this is the fact that in an old house you often uncover more that needs to be done, or undone, or redone, in the process – “once you tug on one thing it’s like an old jumper unravelling”.

The current owners project managed the whole restoration, with the help of Andy and his team at St. Pierre Contractors, preserving what they could from the occupation of both A. A. Milne and Brian Jones. “Some things from the time of the Milnes still survive – there’s a gilded hand painted cupboard door that’s been repurposed for a wardrobe in what was once A. A. Milne’s wife Daphne’s bathroom, but unfortunately there were a number of items that were beyond repair.” A few features from Brian Jones’s days have been retained, although sadly he didn’t own the house for very long. “There are glimpses of them, but anything too damaged or not appropriate has been sealed within the fabric of the house for posterity.”

“We have a small amount of furniture that we’ve curated,” the owners continue, “a few pieces that provide stylistic content for the house. Interesting little things – photographs, first edition Milnes… We bought all his biographies and did lots of literary research on both Milne and Brian Jones in order to get it right.”

It is important to the current owners and their family that the house is a home, rather than a museum or shrine to the Milnes or to Brian Jones, but they also wanted to showcase some of the essence of these prestigious occupants for visitors to Cotchford, because, for the moment at least, the house and grounds are available to rent as luxury holiday accommodation.

On the ground floor the dining room, kitchen and bathroom were left more or less as they were. “The kitchen was fully functional, it just needed decorative changes, but the drawing room was two rooms – there was originally a doorway next to the staircase and at the end of the corridor through which you could enter A. A. Milne’s study and the drawing room. The drawing room/study is now a large open space, with the library at one end and a cosy fireplace at the other.

“We re-inserted the wall posts and reinstated what we could to demarcate A. A. Milne’s study, where he wrote many of his books, poems and plays,” the current owners explain, “but we needed to maintain the space as modern and functional too.” From there you go up the stairs, but perhaps you’ll sit for a while halfway up, because these are the very stairs that inspired Milne’s famous poem, Halfway Down the Stairs.

The bedrooms are arranged over two floors. “On the first floor is Christopher Robin’s, A. A. Milne’s bedroom and the principal suite, which was Daphne’s.” On the top floor there were originally two bedrooms, for staff – the cook and the nanny. These have now been turned into bedroom five. The attic area was reserved for Christopher Robin’s woodcraft.

“We undertook a full restoration of the bedrooms and they now have integrated en suites,” say the current owners. One of the bathrooms is particularly resplendent, but it looks as if it might have been a bit of a challenge to install. “Ah yes, the main bathroom was expensive – we elected to implement a high-end design into a quirky space – it was the hardest room in the house,” they smile.

No expense was spared here though – bathing luxury is important when you are on holiday. “This bathroom was installed with the support of West One Bathrooms and there are Catchpole & Rye pieces throughout the house.”
The owners were keen to use local craftspeople whenever they could. Local craftsman and bespoke furniture maker Ian Parker made the main bookcase for the library and there is a collection of fabrics by Molly Mahon, the talented textile designer and printmaker (who lives in nearby Forest Row), throughout the house.

Outside there are extensive grounds with access into Ashdown Forest at the end of the lane. The gardens cover nearly two acres. There are terraced formal gardens near to the house, leading out towards three acres of forest. In total the holding is 15 acres including three fields and a stable block.
The gardens are a credit to Daphne Milne who commissioned the design from a local landscape architect (Raymond Berrow from Wadhurst) and together with Daphne and her gardener they installed and maintained truly lovely grounds.

“Daphne was the driving force behind the gardens,” say the current owners. “Within them some things remain – the sundial and statue of Christopher Robin and an owl statue – but a large number of artefacts were stolen when Brian Jones passed.” Apparently hordes of people descended on the house and carried away mementoes.

“We have worked hard to preserve the gardens with the different sections and have expanded them with the addition of a tennis court and wild flower meadow – and we’ve embraced a small tributary as a water feature.” The river Medway tributary borders the property to the south and the iconic ‘Pooh Sticks Bridge’ is just along the road, still in existence and available for endless happy games of Pooh sticks.

Ashdown Forest is as big a part of the Winnie-the-Pooh legacy as Cotchford House is. The current owners continue to collaborate with the Conservators of Ashdown Forest and The Ashdown Forest Foundation and with local businesses – such as Pooh Corner Café, where Neil the owner also has the “Poohtorium” for those wanting an extra dose of all things Pooh.

Well over a million people flock from all over the world to visit every year – and looking after an ancient forest landscape takes upkeep and stewardship. The current owners are working with Ashdown Forest to host an open gardens event in aid of the Forest for the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh in 2026. This will be an important fundraiser and all profits will go to The Ashdown Forest Foundation. “We try to work carefully and collaboratively with the conservators. It’s a partnership.”

It is clear that the current owners and their family have a firm intention to look after the house and its surroundings and to do their best to support their like-minded neighbours – which includes the many devotees of A. A. Milne’s creations and the legacy of rock legend Brian Jones. “We purchased the house as our family home,” say the current owners, “and it is our intention to return to the district, but in the meantime we are delighted to be able to offer the property for short term experience rentals so others can also enjoy the magic of Cotchford Farm.”

You are invited to stay at Cotchford and to experience what it is to live in Pooh country. Imagine being able to sit in A. A. Milne’s study, sleep in Christopher Robin’s bedroom, rest halfway down the stairs… To share in the enchantment and enjoy a small piece of literary history in the privacy of this beautifully restored home is a magical thing. Tiddely pom.

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To find out more about immersing yourself in the world of Winnie the Pooh by booking a stay at Cotchford Farm, see cotchfordfarm.com.