Cherry Cottage, Crowborough

Crowborough is a popular market town in East Sussex, well known as the home to many writers, actors and artists who took inspiration from the area’s beauty, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who penned the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and lived in the town for the last 23 years of his life, with his statue standing at Crowborough Cross. Tourists will also find a nod to the books with such street names criss-crossing the town as Watson Way and Sherlock Shaw as well as the Cafe Baskerville which can be found on the Broadway. The town offers a good selection of shops and eateries, plus a monthly farmers’ market provides local produce and culinary delights, whilst throughout the year Crowborough hosts a selection of quintessentially English fetes and fairs. Adjoining the edge of this market town is ancient Ashdown Forest, set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Originally a Norman hunting ground, the forestland offers a rich heritage and was used by the monarchy and nobility until Tudor times, including Henry VIII who kept a hunting lodge at Bolebroke Castle and Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle. Covering over 9 square miles, the now tranquil open heathland offers one of the largest public access spaces in South East England. Ashdown Forest is a famous beauty spot and has been claimed as the setting for the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie the Pooh stories written by A. A. Milne, who lived on its northern edge and would often take his son, Christopher Robin, walking amongst the woodland. With streams, ponds, woods and grazing commonland, this area is rich in wildlife, which is nationally protected. For those that adore the countryside, this part of Sussex is sure to delight and can be explored season by season with its ever-changing scenery.