Visiting Knepp Wildland

Knepp Castle Estate is looking forward to welcoming visitors for the 2019 Purple Emperor season. 

The butterfly is likely to start to emerge there on or around June 18^th, and finish around July 26^th, but watch this space for updates.

Butterfly folk in the UK are used to open access sites. Only a few Swallowtail localities are pay-for-entry sites. Knepp Wildland is pay-for-entry away from on the few public rights of way, as the estate is trying to make a living from sustainable wildlife tourism, rather than from unsustainable and exploitative agriculture (see Wilding by Isabella Tree, the Knepp story; copies are on sale at Knepp Go Down). The estate deserves your support.

There will be a designated Purple Emperor visitor car park close to the campsite and safari reception centre. This will be clearly signed and will run throughout the Purple Emperor season. The SatNav code is RH13 8NN. Please drive past the main (campsite) car park (on your left), and through the automatic barrier. The Purple Emperor Car Park is immediately on your right, just past the barrier. For more details please visit: https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/Information/Purple-Emperor-Car-Parking

The estate asks £10 per vehicle for a day’s parking. For this you will have access to tea and coffee-making facilities in the Go Down, the Go Down loos, and can pick up a detailed hand-out on the Purple Emperor at Knepp, which contains a map of the recommended route. You will also be given a Knepp Wildland Purple Emperor 2019 wristband.

I planned this route. It goes through many of the best parts of the Wildland for Purple Emperors. It is clearly marked on the map and on site by purple-topped posts and purple ribbon on bushes and trees.

Please keep to this designated route, to avoid disturbance to sensitive wildlife and to prevent people getting lost (last year people were getting lost in the 458 hectare Wildland on a daily basis, in extreme heat). 

We would welcome your sightings. Please record these in the Records book on the Go Down table, or email them through to me on matthew@matthew-oates.co.uk. Neil Hulme and I are volunteers at Knepp Wildland, running Purple Emperor safaris (which were fully booked by the end of January) and conducting detailed monitoring. 

A few public rights of way cross the Wildland. Several of these do not run through good Purple Emperor areas but the green lane bridleway which goes from Countryman Lane, Shipley, down to Blonks Lane at the southern end does run through prime Purple Emperor country. There is a limited amount of roadside parking along Countryman Lane, but it is often taken up by dog walkers. The footpaths in from Dial Post also go through some reasonable Emperor terrain. Unfortunately, the Wildland is covered by two 1:2500 maps: No 134 for Crawley & Horsham and No 121 for Arundel & Pulborough. The best route is the designated Purple Emperor route from the Go Down, explained above.

The Wildland is grazed by longhorn cattle all year round, and is on Weald Clay. This combination means that paths can be hard and bumpy in dry weather, and very sticky in wet weather. Those of us with dodgy ankles and knees (#MeToo) take heed! First Aid assistance is available at The Go Down. The cattle are docile (but don’t walk between cow and young calf). Dogs on leads or under close control please.

The mobile phone signal is very bad in the Wildland, best near the villages. 

Note that Purple Emperors are unlikely to appear in last year’s numbers, due to the impact of the drought (no rain fell at Knepp between May 31^st and July 28^th 2018, and much foliage wilted). Many sallows are now dying (mainly the less favoured narrow-leaved varieties). It may be a season of quality rather than quantity.

See www.kneppsafaris.co.uk and www.knepp.co.uk/home     Enjoy your Emperors!