BCC Scapers Visit to Knepp

Ever since I read Isabella Tree’s book, Wilding in 2019 I have wanted to visit Knepp. I cannot believe I have left it so long but one thing is for sure, one visit has not satisfied my appetite and I will want to visit it again and many times over.

An Early Start
On Thursday 26th September 2024 Nikos Polydorou organised this trip for the Scapers Special Interest Group. Being an early riser, I went ahead of the group leaving home at 6am to arrive just after sunrise. After a delicious homemade raspberry and banana bircher as I sat in the car, I grabbed my camera and set off on a ramble.

Old English Longhorns
It seems apt that my first sighting of animals in the wilds of Knepp was the old English longhorns, the adults with their horns framing their faces. I met them as I entered the first field on my route. I did not feel at all threatened as they stood watching me. On the other hand, a youngster sidled up alongside his mother, perhaps not feeling as confident as I. The bond between mother and calf was evident. It was a delight to see. I had read that at Knepp mother and calf are kept within close proximity of each other until the mother is ready to give birth to another calf (A break from the tradition of separating mother and calf three days after birth and feeding the calf on powered milk).

Wheatear
Whilst we were watching each other I was aware of a slight movement in my peripheral vision. A small bird was flitting about on the chalky stones and the cow pats. I identified this as a wheatear. The first time I ever saw a wheatear was on Greenham Common where he was doing exactly the same – enjoying a nutritious snack of dung flies.

A Cloud of Insects
I found my way to Mill Pond with its gold and emerald waters. The soft calm of the day was only broken with quacking of mallards as if they had shared a joke. I found my way to the bird hide and, whilst I saw no birds among the reeds other than a lone coot, I was amazed at the clouds of gnats. This is something I see all the time in Ireland but rarely have I come across in England other than on the moors of Yorkshire or Derbyshire. It was a very positive sight and bound to be great for the wildlife. I sat for a while enjoying the hypnotic sway of the reeds, like flickering flames. The day was warming up.

I retraced my steps a short distance along the road to rejoin ‘the orange walk’. This took me to Knepp Castle.

The King of the Castle
Knepp Castle was originally a defensive castle but it eventually became a hunting ground for King John. He had been a guest of William de Braose in 1026 when he stopped off on his way to France. Two years later he returned to kill his host and starve to death William’s wife and heir. King John now had his own hunting lodge. Hardly the way to return kind hospitality. It has to be said, the king of the castle is a dirty rascal.

The ruins of the castle sit on top of a small motte, its sandstone walls bright in the morning sunlight. I had enjoyed a glimpse of the castle as I drove down the A24 on my way to Knepp. I wondered what it was and was frustrated that there was nowhere to pull in. I was delighted to find that it is accessible after all.

The Prince of Knepp
Right on queue, whilst I pondered on King John deer stalking, I surprised a fallow deer browsing on blackberries. We came upon each other suddenly as I was blinded by the low, bright sunlight. He came out of nowhere and turned off to his left rather than running straight at me. Then, from a safe distance, he stood poised like the Prince of Knepp, watching me. We stared at each other for quite some time before he continued on his way around the base of the motte with his castle standing proudly above. He cut a majestic figure, his spotted back not unlike an ermine cloak. He held his head high, his palmated antlers like a heavy crown.

Many might question why the Rewilding Project has introduced a non-native species. It was presumed that the fallow deer was introduced by the Normans however, something in the region of 10,000 fallow deer bones, originating from Roman times, can be viewed at Fishbourne Roman Villa, near Chichester.

Time for a coffee
As I returned to the centre I was delighted to find more old English longhorns grazing just beyond the fence. They watched me suspiciously and then the matriarch bellowed, inviting the herd to move on through the gap to the next field. In the meantime I moved on to the cafe for a well earned cup of coffee and awaited the arrival of the rest of the party.

At 10:30am I was joined by Nikos, Roxanne, Alan E, Brian and his wife, Steve F, Lynda and Paul M. We set off eagerly for a 10K walk.

A Change in the Weather
Regretfully, the day changed for the worse and cameras stayed securely in their camera bags, with the exception of Roxanne whom I clocked photographing dung flies in cow pats. Perhaps she was wheatear in another life.

Despite the heavy rain, spirits were definitely not dampened. We pulled on our rain jackets and pulled up our hoods and braved the rain with the occasional break between the clouds. We did joke that you would have thought this was some market garden group outing with the amount of time discussing home produce and then of course this naturally led to a sharing of recipes. I very much look forward to cooking a vegetarian moussaka. Thank you Nikos.

I hope the group gets to visit again another time to discover the hidden delights of Knepp.

Gladys Perrier LRPS