Knepp Castle Estate

General information

The Knepp Wildland Project is a pioneering experiment in habitat creation, the largest of its kind in lowland Europe. Part-funded by Natural England it is at the cutting edge of current environmental thinking in terms of landscape-scale restoration which allows natural processes – driven by large ungulates – to take place on a significant and influential scale.
Over the course of little over a decade, since the project began, we have seen a remarkable come-back of species, many of them red data species or nationally scarce. We can now boast 2% of the UK’s population of nightingales and one of the largest populations of purple emperor butterflies. From observing just these two species at Knepp, ecologists have gained new insights into their behaviour and habitat needs, demonstrating that the Knepp Wildland Project, with its open-ended, non-goal orientated ethos, has ground-breaking scientific value.

Join us on one of our vehicle-based safaris or guided walking tours and experience our profusion of birds, mammals, butterflies, beetles, reptiles, plants and fungi in a setting that feels as wild and dynamic as the African bush.

Stay in one of our beautiful shepherd’s huts or luxurious tents, or simply pitch your own in our exclusive Wildland campsite.

You don’t have to take one of our safaris to stay here, and you don’t have to stay here to take a safari – though naturally we hope you’ll be tempted to combine the two.

For reasons of safety and to ensure quiet observation of our wildlife we operate a 12yrs+ policy.