The Knepp – Revisited

At the beginning of July, Brindle and Green revisited the Knepp Rewilding Project in Horsham, having originally visited last October.

The Knepp is a major rewilding project in Sussex, comprising 1400 hectares of former arable and dairy farmland. Since the start of the project in 2000, the conversion of intensive agriculture to rewilded land. The site now supports a number of rare species including, though not limited to, turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur), barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus), nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) and beaver (Castor fiber).

On this occasion a group of 15 members from the Ecology, Arboriculture and Archaeology departments took part in the Knepp’s Butterfly Safari. With thirty-seven different butterfly species inhabiting the Knepp in total, thanks to the rewilding project species such as the grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae), small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and dark-green fritillary (Speyeria aglaja) have increased in number across the site. The Knepp is also notable for a population of purple emperors (Apatura iris), once abundant across southern England though now restricted to only a few locations. We also got to see some of the other wildlife that roams the estate such as including white stork (Ciconia ciconia), Tamworth pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and long-horn cattle (Bos primigenius).

The Knepp also offers a range of different ways to stay on the estate, from glamping in shepherds’ huts and belle tents, tree houses and wild camping. Our team spent the night wild camping in a wildflower meadow, complete with a BBQ and beverages to finish off the day.