The Knepp Estate is just outside Horsham. It is a significant rewilding project and has some 3,500 acres of natural habitat. It also has 16 miles of designated walking routes and Knepp Estate walks nearly also include sightings of wildlife including deer, Tamworth pigs, Longhorn cattle, Exmoor ponies and bird life (including their famous storks). In addition to which, there are are also the ruins of a Norman castle, a grand country house and a courtyard with a shop, a restaurant and plenty of seating.
Knepp Estate walks
When choosing a Knepp castle walk, bear in mind that there are different routes of varying lengths around the estate and they are labelled: red, orange, yellow and blue. There are maps you can download for free from the Knepp Estate website. There are two places to park which are accessed from the village of Dial Post, although beware, SatNav sometimes takes you elsewhere. There is a limited bus service to Dial Post.
In addition to the Knepp Estate café, there is a pub (The countryman Inn) at Shipley – on the blue route.
You are also asked to follow the Countryside Code. In particular, shut gates, stick to the paths, be respectful of the wildlife, and don’t leave any litter.
- The red route is the longest at 10 km.
- The orange route is 4-5 km.
- The yellow route is 3.4 km.
- The blue route is about 2 km.
All routes are very well signed throughout the walks.
You can opt to do any combination of these routes that you choose. For example, we recently walked the 10 km red route, had lunch at the café and then walked the orange route. The terrain is pretty flat although it can get muddy in places and it’s best avoided after heavy rain fall – the orange route in particular is often flooded.
Highlights
There are lots of things to look out for when walking at Knepp. Of course, there is the wildlife and you’ll be hard pushed not to meet at least some of it. There are also a number of tree top bird watching platforms and the Knepp mill pond which has a long history. A particular highlight is the Shipley windmill and its connection with Sussex writer Hillarie Belloc who lived in Shipley. Shipley village is interesting in its own right and there is a Heritage Trail notice board there with more information.
The other big highlights are the teasing glimpses of the county house in which the Burrell family (the estate owners) still live and the enigmatic ruins of a Norman castle.
Top tip. Knepp Estate is a popular destination so it can get busy but if you’re lucky enough to be in the area at dusk, when most people have left, the bird song is incredible!
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