The Knepp estate in the West Sussex Low Weald, south of Horsham, is an ancient holding of the Burrell family who are still principal landowners. At the end of the 20th century, farming on the estate, a difficult task on marginal land, was slowed to a trickle and a long process of withdrawal from mainstream agriculture was instituted -'rewilding' or a some have it-'wilding'. We discuss some aspects of the environmental impact this had on both the wildlife and human activities.

There will be some light refreshment at the end with a glass of wine for a donation.

An Associate Tutor with the Geography team at the University of Sussex from where I thought I had retired...10 years ago! I specialise in the landscapes of SE England, in both urban and rural areas and I did my doctorate in the suburban growth of the interwar period. I taught adult education for nearly 30 years at Sussex where I worked in the Landscape Studies degree team and was Convenor for Local History. I give talks across SE England to a wide range of groups, from universities to local history societies, WI groups , U3A, Probus and Round Tables. I teach also for the Workers Educational Association and run weekly classes at local community centres. The most requested from my range of talks are those that combine social history, geography, geology and a 'sense of place'.