Knepp Wilding

Knepp Wilding Guided wildlife safaris and luxury campsite in the heart of the Knepp Rewilding Project

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 dec

ade, 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.

As the evenings draw in, our popular Friday BBQs move indoors and Fireside Fridays begin, warmed by the barn's big log-b...
08/09/2026

As the evenings draw in, our popular Friday BBQs move indoors and Fireside Fridays begin, warmed by the barn's big log-burner and filled with the joy of live music, from 6pm to 9.30pm.

Settle in for hearty, seasonal fare: house-made pies showcasing the best of the season, served with herby potatoes, sumac-spiced carrots, and greens fresh from our Market Garden.

Click here to book: https://knepp.co.uk/view/events/wilding-kitchen/fireside-fridays/

07/09/2026

It may look like needless destruction, but the European bison's bark-stripping triggers a chain reaction, that creates the conditions for a host of creatures to thrive.

Reintroduction specialist Derek Gow unpacks this intricate process with Isabella Tree in the latest episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast, along with the countless roadblocks bison have faced on their journey back to the UK.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts from.

07/09/2026

Did you catch Isabella Tree's Tweet of the Day with the white stork?

In the penultimate instalment of her six-part series, Isabella celebrates this beloved migratory bird, reintroduced to Sussex after an absence of hundreds of years. Throwing their necks back and clattering their beaks in amorous display they produce one of the most distinctive sounds in the natural world.

Thanks to Hazel Reeves for the audio recording, captured at Knepp.

Catch up on BBC Radio 4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s6xyk

27/08/2026

Have any plans over the bank holiday weekend? Feel like spending a little time in nature? You can always get back to the earth at Knepp. Join a Landcruiser safari and see wildlife up close, wander the Market Garden on a guided tour, or simply slow down for a few hours on some of our 16 miles of public footpaths, with a pit-stop, of course, in our award-winning .

However you spend your weekend, we’d love to see you.

Check the link in the bio to see what we have going on.

📷 Cover photo by: Olivier Hess

We can see no greater evidence of the benefits of rewilding in the face of climate change and extreme heat than what The...
21/08/2026

We can see no greater evidence of the benefits of rewilding in the face of climate change and extreme heat than what The Guardian has revealed in these aerial images from the Holnicote estate in Somerset. They show Holnicote’s rewilded land as still lush and green compared to the land around it.

Read the full article:

National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding

Since taking office, Andy Burnham has barely mentioned the climate crisis. The lack of focus on the crisis that is facin...
17/08/2026

Since taking office, Andy Burnham has barely mentioned the climate crisis.

The lack of focus on the crisis that is facing us all is desperately serious: The Guardian has found that just 20 of Defra's 6,613 staff work on climate adaptation. With nearly a thousand wildfires this year, and firefighters begging for 5,000 more recruits, and no water-bombing aircraft to call on, this is woefully negligent.

After centuries of draining the land in the UK we can now see how desperately we need to rewet it. At Knepp we're seeing how effective our beaver wetlands are in this heat. While the land around us desiccates, water is still trickling in the beaver ponds, there is no drop in water levels, and the whole area is a magnet for thirsty mammals, birds and insects. It will also be a vital firebreak should the worst happen.

Read the full piece here:

Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves

12/08/2026

While we haven’t seen rainfall at Knepp for over two months, the beavers have continued to enlarge their wetland oasis.

With record-breaking temperatures and wild fires a rising risk, resetting the landscape has never been more urgent. Down by the beaver lodges at Knepp, there’s a wonderland of greenery, trickling water, and creatures gathering around to cool themselves and drink.

Matt Phelps, lead ecologist at Knepp, shows us the beavers’ handiwork, and the many other species reaping the benefits.

04/08/2026

Have you heard the new episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast?

There’s something utterfly wonderful about watching a creature return to a landscape that was once its home. In this episode, our great butterfly friend Neil Hulme joins Isabella Tree to talk about Knepp’s latest reintroduction by the - the black-veined white, a butterfly absent from British skies for over a hundred years.

Neil takes us through the delicate, painstaking process of bringing this insect back to our shores: the particular blend of hope and trepidation that comes with trying to right past wrongs.

The podcast is out now. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The Knepp Wildland Foundation is coordinating this project in partnership with , , , and . And collaborating with , and

03/08/2026

What does it take to reintroduce a lost butterfly back to Britain?

In our upcoming Knepp Wilding Podcast, Isabella Tree is joined by butterfly expert Neil Hulme, as they discuss the exciting reintroduction of the black-veined white to Knepp by the Knepp Wildland Foundation- a butterfly that has been lost to Britain for over a hundred years.

The podcast is out tomorrow. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The is coordinating this project in partnership with , , , , and . And collaborating with , , and

28/07/2026

August is truly the month of abundance. Delicious fruits and vegetables are erupting out of our Market Garden and the drawn-out summer evenings signal to many insects, birds and small mammals it’s a chance to start scoffing, laying down fat reserves that will last them through winter.

For our visitors, there’s still so much to see. There’s still: the last chance to spot spring migrants such as turtle doves, swifts and swallows that have come to Knepp to breed before they fly south for winter. And in our Wilding Kitchen, the variety of seasonal dishes is at its peak - our chefs are literally spoilt for choice. It’s a glorious time to be alive!

Just a note on our beavers. We do kindly ask that if you’re coming to Knepp for a walk you stick - as always - to the public footpaths and please don’t venture off in search of beavers. August marks one of the final months when they have longer periods to forage, so it’s vital they feel safe. If they feel threatened, they may venture into an area, off Knepp, where they’re not protected.

Links in the bio.

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New Barn Farm, Swallows Lane
Dial Post
RH138NN

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