The delightfully simple game of “Pooh Sticks” played by A.A. Milne’s cheerful Winnie the Pooh and his friends in 1928’s “The House at Pooh Corner” provides one of the text’s most heart-warming moments. Now, the bridge that inspired the scene in the story is up for auction.
It is said that Milne and his son, Christopher Robin Milne, created the game one day at the very bridge up for auction. Renamed “Poohsticks Bridge” in 1979, the landmark gave the author and his son time to imagine the simple game of racing sticks after dropping them into the water below. In the first scenes, Pooh drops pinecones as he plays the game and later sticks when his friends join the fun.
“Originally known as Posingford Bridge, Christopher Robin played on it as a child in the 1920’s with his father, the author A.A. Milne, inventing the game of Pooh sticks which provided the inspiration for the subsequent books,” the listing states.
Image Credit: Summers Place Auctions
The 1907-built structure sits in Ashdown Forest, which is located in East Sussex, England. The original bridge did need extensive repairs at the turn of the century, the renovation work held onto its original historical importance and symblomatic iconography.
Image Credit: Summer Place Auction
“By 1999 the bridge had become worn and degraded by the countless thousands of visitors and so was replaced with a new bridge built with considerable financial assistance from local groups and the Disney Corporation, whilst the original was dismantled and stored for many years in the Ashdown Forest Centre until recently when local Parish council gave permission for it to be rescued,” the listing explains.
Image Credit: Summer Place Auction
The auction house expects the property to sell for a value between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds ($54,000-$80,000 USD) based on incredible interest both within the country and internationally. The bid will take place on October 6th.
Image Credit: Summer Place Auction
