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Rewilded Walled Garden
A garden for the future
A Garden for the Future
Located in the old Victorian walled garden of Knepp Castle, the Rewilded Walled Garden is a unique horticultural experiment inspired by the lessons learned from rewilding 3,500 acres of land at Knepp. Featured in Monty Don’s British Gardens (2025), Gardener’s World (2024) and David Attenborough’s The Wonder of Song (2022), it’s changing the way we think about gardening.
Rewilding a garden isn’t about closing the garden gate and simply letting things go. It takes interventions to create a balance of plants and conditions for wildlife to thrive.
Designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and James Hitchmough, we’ve transformed Knepp’s former croquet lawn into a mosaic of habitats and microclimates featuring more than 1,000 plants, mostly from arid parts of the world, rubbing shoulders with our own native wildflowers.
The 3D topography and species richness makes the garden more resilient to disease and extremes of weather, sparing the need to water and fertilise. It’s also rocket fuel for wildlife. In the first three years of rewilding the garden, biodiversity increased by 34% and it’s now home to 434 insect species, many of them nationally rare.
The garden, to our minds, is also more beautiful than ever – though perhaps in an unconventional way.
A Movement for Change
Rewilding the garden is about changing the mindset. It’s about questioning what we’ve been taught to think of as beautiful and desirable. It’s about allowing ourselves to get a little messier and challenging our desire to be in absolute control.
Private gardens in the UK cover more land than is designated to National Parks. Collectively, we can bring life back to our own backyards and play a vital role in battling climate-change and restoring our nation’s precious wildlife.
Guided & Self-Guided Tours
Our Guided and Self-Guided Tours introduce you to our ethos and innovative approach to creating a beautiful, diverse garden that’s both climate-resilient and rich in wildlife.
Learn about the vision and practicalities of the project, and how it could relate to your own space – be it a garden, backyard, or window box.
Private Tours
Led by our expert gardening team, our 2-hour Private Tours offer an exclusive experience of the Rewilded Walled Garden project – perfect for a horticultural group, company outing or a group of friends.
Refreshments and a longer, in-depth presentation covering all aspects of the project are hosted at the Apple Shed, followed by an inspiring guided walk around the garden.
Wilding Workshops
Our Garden Team
Led by Head Gardener, Charlie Harper, our gardening team brings an abundance of expertise and skills to our Rewilded Walled Garden, helping to create a garden that is climate-resilient and a haven for wildlife. During a Guided Tour or Workshop, you’ll hear from our team on how we’re changing the way we approach gardening.
The Apple Shed
The Walled Garden Tours and Workshops begin at the old Apple Shed, a welcoming space for refreshments on arrival and for guests to meet our garden guides and hear a short presentation on our rewilding ethos.
– Head Gardener, Charlie Harper Featured in House & Garden Magazine
Opening Times
The Rewilded Walled Garden is located at Knepp Castle, a short 7-minute drive from the Wilding Kitchen & Shop. Rewilded Walled Garden Tours and Workshops begin at the Apple Shed, which is located next to our Walled Garden car park – see address and directions below.
The Apple Shed, near Knepp Castle, Off Pound Lane, RH13 8LJ
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Click here for directions
Email:Â safaris@knepp.co.uk
Phone: 01403 741 235
