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Knepp Castle

This article is about a medieval castle in West Sussex. For rewilding of the surrounding farmland, see Knepp Wildland.

A tall stone wall surrounded by grass with trees in the background.
The fragmentary remains of Knepp Castle as they stand today

The medieval Knepp Castle (sometimes referred to as 'Old Knepp Castle', to distinguish it from the nearby 19th-century mansion) is to the west of the village of West Grinstead, West Sussex, England near the River Adur and the A24 (grid reference TQ163209).

The castle was probably founded by the Braose family in the 12th century. King John confiscated the castle along with the Braose lands in 1208. Knepp was used as a hunting lodge, and John visited the castle several times. He ordered its destruction in both 1215 and 1216 during the First Barons' War.

A tall stone wall surrounded by grass with trees in the background. There are two figures in the foreground, one on horseback and the other gesturing towards the ruin, and they are accompanied by a dog.
The castle in the late 18th century, as published in Francis Grose's The antiquities of England and Wales, in a similar condition to today.

Knepp Castle continued to be used into the 14th century and hosted reigning monarchs on several occasions. The castle eventually fell out of use, and by the early 18th century was mostly destroyed. Later that century, stone from the castle was used to build a nearby road.

The name is thought to come from the Old English word cnæp, referring to the mound on which it stands.[1] The land around the castle is now the site of Knepp Wildland.

  1. ^ Hudson 1986a, pp. 111–112.

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