KNEPP CASTLE
CHRONOLOGY OF LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT
YEAR
DETAILS
SOURCE
MK Burrell
1208
King John confiscated the lands at Knepp owned by the de Broase family and
installed William Bloet as his Steward at Knepp
1209
Letter from King John ‘We send you Michael de Puning, commanding you to
permit him to take all the fat deer he can without the park at Cnappe’
Hickman
1214
King John wrote to the Barons of the Exchequer ordering them to pay Bloett’s
accounts for repairs to knepp, for enclosing the park and for putting the stew
pond in order.
Hickman
Following rebellion by the Barons King John wrote to William Bloet ordering him
to ‘transfer everything we possess to Bramber .. to fortify the castle .. and to
destroy all the houses which surround the castle’
Hickman
1216
King John wrote again to Bloett ‘we order you to see that the castle is burnt and
totally destroyed’
Hickman
1218
Knepp returned to the ownership of the de Broase family
1326
Estate passed to de Broase’s daughter, who was married to John de Mowbray
21/03/14
Gibson
HIckman
Following death of William de Broase an inquisition found that ‘in the manor of
Kneppe there was a messuage worth nothing but repairs, a park of 1000 acres
worth 10s. a year beyond the support of deer and keeping up of fences. A water
mill in the park’.
Hickman
1398
? de Mowbray was created Duke of Norfolk
1498
Following the death of the Duke of Norfolk at the Battle of Bosworth ‘Knappe
Park was granted to Tho. West Do dela Warr to hold at the Kings Will’
1506
Knepp was restored to the Duke of Norfolk
1568–
1604
The Caryll family worked the furnace at Knepp for the Duke of Norfolk between
these dates.
1573
Sir Edward Caryll acquired Knepp from the Duke of Norfolk
1574
Atlas of England and Wales, by Christopher Saxton
Knepp
1676
The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain, by John Speed
Knepp
1730
‘A complete History of Sussex (by the Rev. Tho. Cox Vicar of Bromfield in
Essex)’ published. This formed a part of the ‘Magna Britannia, antique et nova’.
The copy in the Burrell Collection has been interleaved with extensive notes by
Sir William Burrell
1732
William Burrell was born in Leadenhall Street
1752
Following the death of Elisabeth Caryll the Estate was sold to Mr Belchier, a
banker from London
1754
The estate was bought by John Wicker.
1762
Crow Map of the Estate ‘Plan of the Demesne of the Manor of Knepp, otherwise
Knapp, situate in the Parishes of Shipley and West Grinstead and County of
Sussex, being the Estate of John Wicker Esq. Signed and delineated by James
Crow, Anno 1754’
Knepp Castle was reduced to its present single tower when much of the stone
Burrell Collection
Hickman
Straker
Hickman
Burrell Collection
Views
Burrell Collection
Hickman
MK Burrell
work was used in the construction of the Horsham-Steyning Road
1766
Merrick Burrell bought West Grindstead Park. (The Crow Survey indicates that
West Grinstead Estate was owned by Merrick Burrell in 1754)
1767
John Wicker died and the Estate was inherited by his daughter Mary, wife of Sir
Thomas Broughton Bt.
MK Burrell
Burrell Collection
Before his death Wicker obtained an Act of Parliament for ‘settling this manor in
lieu of other lands’
1770
Sir William Burrell’s brother Peter was the Surveyor General
Burrell Collection
1771
Correspondence indicating that Sir William Burrell proposed undertaking the
writing of the History of Sussex.
Burrell Collection
11/02/71
1776
Illustration of Knap Castle Ruins by S. Hooper
Sir Thomas Broughton sold the estate to the Rev. Joseph Jackson and Henry
Fletcher, who then sold it on to Jacob Rider (Ryder?)
1787
23/11/87
Following the death of Jacob Rider the Knepp Estate was sold at auction. It
comprised 9 farms, 1600 acres in all. Particulars state ‘there is a fish
pond….near the upper end of which …. is an elevated and beautiful spot to build
a house upon’
Sir Charles Raymond bought the Estates of Knepp for £18,900.
WSRO
Burrell Collection
Burrell Collection
MK Burrell
Sir Charles Raymond died and left the Estate to his two daughters, Dame
Sophie, wife of Sir William Burrell Bt. And Juliana, wife of Henry Boulton
Burrell Collection
Series of water colours showing views around the estate, painted by S.H.Grimm
forming part of an extensive collection of views throughout Sussex, which were
to form part of Sir William Burrell’s ‘History of Sussex’. View of the pond and the
ruin included.
Burrell Collection
1789
Mrs Juliana Boulton sold her half of the Estate to Sir William Burrell Bt.
Burrell Collection
1796
Sir William Burrell died and the Estate was inherited by Sir Charles Burrell
1800
Sir Charles Merrick Burrell constructed the road from Coolham to Cowfold
(east/west) which resulted in the draining of the northern end of Knepp Pond,
which had extended to Pondtail Farm.
1806
OSD 2” 1 mile map published
1809
The House at West Grinstead Park, designed by John Nash, was built for Walter
Burrell, the younger brother of Sir Charles Burrell, owner of Knepp Castle
Mansbridge
1809-12
Knepp Castle, designed by John Nash, was built for Sir Charles Burrell at a cost
of £28,500
MK Burrell
1788
1788-9
1830
Additions and alterations were made to the Castle
MK Burrell
Hickman/History
British Museum
Building Register
Illustration of Knepp Castle and Pond by Charles Smith. Published in
Cartwright’s ‘Parochial Topography’ with the notation ‘Sir Charles M Burrell
contributes this plate’. The illustration was also reproduced by Horsfield in 1835.
Cartwright
1831
Walter Burrell died and West Grinstead Park was inherited by his brother Sir
Charles Burrell, thus uniting the two estates.
MK Burrell
1835
‘(Knepp Castle) is situated on a gentle elevation...overlooking the most extensive
piece of water south of the River Thames and which derives additional beauty
Horsfield
from its Serpentine form, adorned as its banks are, by fine timber plantations’
1836
Cedars planted in the lawn to the north of the Castle (Ring Count from 2No
recently felled specimens by Mr Charles Burrell)
Knepp
1847
Tithe Map for the Parish of Shipley
WSRO
1850
The Bow Wood planted with Oak
1862
Sir Charles Burrell died and the estate was inherited first by Sir Percy (who died
in the same year) and then by Sir Walter Burrell
1870
Spring Wood created as Oak Plantation
1872
Raymond Burrell married Etheldreda Loder (The Loder family were later to
develop Leonardslee Gardens and Arboretum)
1875
1st edition 25” to 1 mile Ordnance Survey Map published
British Museum
1879
1st edition 6” to 1 mile Ordnance Survey Map published
British Museum
1886
Sir Walter Merrick Burrell died and the Estate was inherited by Sir Raymond (6 th
Baronet) and his wife Etheldreda (nee. Loder)
MK Burrell
1889
Sir Edmund Loder acquired Leonardslee and set about establishing a woodland
garden, currently listed as Grade 1 on the English Heritage Register
Leonardslee
1890
Merrick Wood created as Oak Plantation
Knepp Files
1899
Sir Raymond Burrell died and the Estate was inherited by Sir Merrick Burrell (7 th
Baronet)
MK Burrell
1900
(c.) Stud farm established at Knepp for the breeding of hunters, by Sir Merrik
Burrell, centred around Home Farm
200 Years
1904
The front part of the Castle was destroyed by fire and Sir Merrick Burrell had it
rebuilt to the original design
MK Burrell
Pair of postcards showing the South frontages of the Castle before and after the
fire.
Knepp Files
MK Burrell
Knepp Files
MK Burrell
WSRO
Knepp Files
1905
Matchetts Wood Planted
1911
3rdedition 25” to 1 mile Ordnance Survey Map published
1912
Sir Merrik Burrell sold the West Grinstead Estate to J.P.Hornung who developed
a racing stud at the Home Farm
1931
‘The great pond is the largest piece of water in Sussex, with a long high bay
(dam), but owing to the flat nature of the country, small catchment area and low
rainfall, the waterflow can not have been great.’
1932
Aerial Photographs of the Estate were taken
Knepp
1939
Some dredging works were carried out in the Mill Pond
Knepp
1939-45
Knepp Castle was requisitioned by the War Office and became the H.Q. of the
Canadian Divisions. The Pond was drained down for the duration of the war.
1940
Northern part of Spring Wood Planted
1959
Knepp Castle Ruins were listed Grade II, and Knepp Castle was listed Grade II*.
Description in the Register of Listed Buildings states the Clerk of works for the
construction of the Castle was Alexander Kyffin, the building is faced in Roman
22/09/59
WSRO
200 Years
Straker
Seward
Knepp Files
Building Register
Cement
1981
19/08/81
Visit by Mr Alan Mitchell, recording and measuring trees in the Pleasure Grounds
Wood
Knepp Files