I have been wanting to visit Knepp, home of the most expansive and ambitious process-led rewilding project here in England, for years. I have read the book, I’ve seen the documentary, watched the short film, and yet have never been there. It’s less than an hour from me, so yesterday we packed up the dogs and plenty of water, and set off on an adventure.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, as mid-August is not a great time of year for birds, as they are all either moulting, recovering from breeding, or getting ready to migrate. Lots of birdwatchers move over to dragonflies during these lean summer months and in addition, it was a hot day and going at lunchtime meant we were unlikely to see anything much by way of foraging – most species sensibly enjoying some respite in the shade and conserving their energy.
In spite of this, it was a fascinating trip. We did the medium walk (4.5km) to start with, which took us through fields with the longhorn cattle, and up past the remains of Knepp Castle.
There are no fences across the land, apart from the perimeter fencing along the roads. The hedges are browsed with precision, and pathways and tracks criss-cross between the former field margins. The oaks are magnificent, relishing in the freedom now their roots are no longer bombarded with agrochemicals, and trimmed annually by the plough.
I was trying to work out what was different about Knepp, and I think it’s something to do with the scale, and also the landscape is affected by not just deer (which are the only “wild” herbivores in most places) but also cattle, pigs, and ponies. Not to mention all the grazing birds and munching insects that will also impact the environment.
Consider these images below. The undulating vegetation drifts from one patch of brambles to another, linking up the trees and outgrown hedges to create cover and habitat for a myriad of species.
Compare this to the grassland areas in the previous photos, where a savannah-type ecosystem reigns, with wet channels filled with rushes, and the odd pond providing a nursery for the numerous dragonflies we saw hawking over the fields.
After some lunch and a browse in the marvellous shop back at the hub. We then did the shorter yellow walk (about 2km) which I think I enjoyed more than the medium one as there was more diversity in the habitat even though it’s a shorter distance.
In spite of the rather unpromising time of year and time of day, I took my Forest & Farmland Birds logbook with me. Here is my list:
- Black Storks (soaring high overhead)
- Buzzards
- Kestrel
- Carrion Crow
- Herring Gull
- Bullfinches
- Goldfinches
- Nuthatch
- Blue Tits
- Great Tits
- Red Kite – being mobbed by:
- House Martins
- Robin
- Grasshopper Warbler (heard)
- Wood Pigeons
- Jackdaws
- Whitethroat
- Dunnock
I would thoroughly recommend Knepp if you’re intrigued or interested in the project, or just want to go and get a feel for the place. A lot of areas are prohibited so they can be left undisturbed, and I wonder how much a busy summer holiday weekend affects the desire of the livestock and wildlife to head out in to the more human-and dog-populated areas. As I have a fascination with habitats and wildlife I found it utterly enthralling, and the fact it exists in its untamed and uninhibited way in spite of the A24 roaring alongside its boundary, and the regularity of the planes overhead from nearby Gatwick Airport makes it even more compelling.
I am looking forward to going back once the weather is a little cooler and perhaps some of the winter migrant birds have arrived. There is a longer (10km) walk which takes in some of the more notable features of the estate so I look forward to packing a flask and some snacks, and heading out with the dogs and the binoculars to see what I can see.
I wanted to do some sort of artistic representation of my experience, so here is an abstract of the landscape, with the purple of the bramble fruits, the dark green of the mature leaves, and the yellow flowers of the ragwort and fleabane.
