Where better to begin our autumn update than in an ancient woodland. The trees around us are full of colour and the leaves are drifting to the floor. It has been a very dry summer here in England, this seems to have enhanced the vivid reds and mustard yellows in the leaves as the trees shut down for winter hibernation. Specifically, we’re in Epping Forest, a vast swathe of woodland that runs from north east London out to the Essex countryside. Within the forest there are over 55,000 ancient trees of many varieties, it’s a vital habitat and a very important green space for London. Regular readers will know that Epping Forest was a huge inspiration for Jill Barklem and was key in the creation of the Brambly Hedge books. Now the mice have returned to the Forest forty-five years later… the Epping Forest Brambly Hedge Sculpture Trail is now officially open!
Back in February this year the Duke of Gloucester opened a new pathway though the Forest, a couple of the Brambly Hedge wooden mice were in attendance, but more have since been added, there are now seventeen in total to find. It was wonderful to have an October gathering in the Forest with many of the people who helped bring the Trail to fruition, especially those from the City of London Corporation and Epping Forest District Council, both of whom were pivotal in making the Trail happen.
The Trail runs from the Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford (just 25 minutes by train from London Liverpool Street Station) through the Forest to Connaught Water, where the path continues around the lake. For a small fee you can pick up a Trail map and Brambly Hedge pencil from the Visitor Centre, the leaflet includes a tick list for all seventeen of the wooden sculptures, when you have ticked off all the mice, you can pick up a sticker from the Visitor Centre. We hope you get a chance to visit the Brambly Hedge Trail this autumn!
We have very much enjoyed hearing your reactions to the newly published A Visit To Brambly Hedge book, lots of you have been commenting on the behind the scenes sketches from the archives. A feature in the Sunday Times by Nicolette Jones from September titled ‘How Brambly Hedge attracted a new generation of fans’ sparked a flurry of messages and comments from people who had a core Brambly Hedge memory unlocked, it seems Jill’s illustrations do become engrained in the memory.
Hopefully A Visit to Brambly Hedge will join our ever expanding list of translated editions, we’ll have more news on that soon. For now our new translated editions this autumn include a welcome return for Brambly Hedge to the Netherlands! It’s been many years since we have had Dutch editions in print, and now we can celebrate the return of Bramen Buurt with a new edition of Autumn Story, more Dutch editions are on their way. A new French edition of The High Hills has just published, titled Les Collines, the first time in nearly two decades that this title has been available in French. Both the Festive Colouring Book and the Nature Colouring Book have also been added to French translation list, as has Poppy’s Babies.
A host of very exciting new Brambly Hedge products have arrived on my desk this week, these include (but are not limited to) Oven Gloves, Tea Towels, a Glasses Case, Apron, Travel Mugs, and Insulated Drinks Bottles! These are mostly from our new spring range but will be available to purchase from our store imminently.
A Waterstones exclusive organic cotton Canvas Tote Bag is also now available, this features the Crabapple Cottage kitchen scene from Winter Story with the text ‘All the kitchens along Brambly Hedge were warm and busy’, just in time for some seasonal shopping!
As the leaves fall and the nights grow longer and colder, thoughts turn to the festive season… and we have some treats for you this year! Our first Advent Calendar has just launched, these feature a different Brambly Hedge illustration for each day throughout December and are available from our shop now.
The Festive Colouring Book celebrates its first birthday this year, full of illustrations and designs from autumn through to winter, ready for you to colour-in on cosy evenings as the light fades away. We’ve enjoyed seeing your colourful creations tagged on socials, so keep them coming to @bramblyhedgeofficial.
This year we have teamed up with National Trust Petworth House in West Sussex for an event inspired by the natural beauty of winter. The palatial rooms at Petworth will host a series of trees, lights, and displays to welcome the winter season, and the Brambly Hedge mice will be making an appearance in a couple of the displays at the event. We’ll post more news on our socials in the coming weeks, but the event will run from 29th November 2025 to the 4th January 2026, make a note in your diaries!
Speaking of which, we have just launched our 2026 Diaries, our A5 Brambly Hedge Diary and A6 Brambly Hedge Pocket Diary are available now, be quick though, as these tend to sell out fast. Also hot off the press is the 2026 Brambly Hedge Calendar, sold out every year for the past four years, it’s another one to get in early to avoid disappointment. Returning for 2026 after a hiatus in 2025 is the Year Planner Diary, perfect for notable dates on the move.
We hope that you find the time to get out into the forest and enjoy the final flourish of autumn colour before the storms whip away the leaves for winter. For now though, we wish you a fruitful autumn.
Pete Barklem
Late October 2025
England