Nightingale Safari and Supper

Through April and May the nightingale’s liquid song pours through the night sky at Knepp.

The inspiration for Shakespeare, Keats and other poets through the ages, nightingales were once widespread in Britain but are now limited to the south-east corner of England. Numbers continue in free-fall globally but, at Knepp, these African migrants are one of the most surprising successes of the rewilding project.

In 2024, we counted over 50 males singing from territories in Knepp’s billowing hedgerows and patches of scrub – a remarkable increase from only seven territories prior to rewilding, twenty or so years ago. This bounceback is thanks to our rewilded thorny scrub, which provides a safe refuge, and plenty of food for the nightingales and their chicks. The fact that scrub is rarely tolerated elsewhere has contributed significantly to the nightingale’s decline.

Unlike other birds, nightingales generally don’t sing at dusk. Their moment to shine is at night, when other birds are quiet. While you wait for the arias to begin, we’ll serve you delightful canapes in our cosy Cow Barn followed by a delicious two-course, candlelit vegetarian dinner showcasing organic produce from Knepp’s Market Garden, complemented with organic wine.

You’ll learn about the astonishing life of this tiny bird, before heading out into the rewilding project on foot to visit nightingale territories and, hopefully, delight in their song. One word of caution: nature is unpredictable, and so is the great British weather. We’ll do our utmost to get you within range of a nightingale, and we have an astonishing success rate, but it may not always be possible. Whatever happens, though, we’re confident you’ll have a magical evening.

You’ll need a good level of fitness and be able to cope with walking on uneven ground in darkness.

Nightingale Safaris run from 01 May to 25 May.

If you’d like to stay with us for the night, why not book our pitch-your-own campsite – with hot outdoor baths and showers, a wood-fired pizza oven, and wild swimming lake.

8.30pm-midnight
£125 per person