Knepp Castle

Knepp Castle, lies in a field, west of the hamlet of West Grinstead in the county of West Sussex in England.

Knepp Castle was built in 1125 by Robert de Harcourt le Fort, stepson of William de Braose I. The castle was meant to defend a vulnerable gap in the north of the Rape of Bramber, a former Norman barony. Although originally built as a defensive castle, it soon became a hunting manor in a deer park.

Between 1206 and 1216 Knepp Castle was visited by King John on 4 separate occasions. In 1218 King Henry III used the castle as his address on land charters.

In 1324 King Edward II visited Knepp Castle and in 1384 it was visited by King Richard II.

During the English Civil War, in 1648, Knepp Castle was destroyed by Parliamentary troops to prevent its use as a military asset by the Royalists.

In 1729 the ruin of the castle was used as a quarry and its stones were used to build the Horsham-Steyning road.

Knepp Castle is a small ruin but in a nice green location. The site is freely accessible from a public footpath. It can also be seen from the A24 road.

Gallery