Time capsule buried to mark 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh

A time capsule has been buried at a tea room in Hartfield, a village in East Sussex in south-east England, to commemorate 100 years since the first book about Winnie-the-Pooh appeared. The tea room, called Pooh Corner, says the capsule will be reopened in a century's time. The children's classic by the British author AA Milne was first published on 14 October 1926.

What is inside

The capsule holds items gathered during a year of anniversary events. They include books, a rare Winnie-the-Pooh teapot, photographs and letters to the bear written by local schoolchildren.

The story and its setting

The tale centres on a gentle, honey-loving teddy bear based on a toy belonging to the author's son. It takes place in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, a setting inspired by the real Ashdown Forest, where Milne had a country home.

Visitors from around the world

Neil Reed, one of the tea room's owners, told BBC Radio Sussex that it was impossible to describe a typical Pooh fan, because the appeal reaches everybody. He said that every day different people from different generations walk in the forest with their teddy bears, exploring places they recognise from the books.

The tea room also operates as a gift shop and museum. Reed said it had seen visitors from all over the world and had been visited more than 250,000 times in 2026.