Wilding

Today my brother, Daughter One and nephew drove down to the Knepp estate near Horsham, the site of the rewilding experiment as described in Isabella Tree's book, 'Wilding'.

A new cafe had just opened so we had a coffee and cake and set off to explore. There are a number of marked trails which visitors are asked to keep to as there are free-roaming animals about - Old English shorthorn cattle, Tamworth pigs and Exmoor ponies - which shouldn't be approached.

Brother and self, both having sore knees, followed the longest trail for a while with the others but then turned back to return to the car park. This was unfortunate, as the younger folk continued round the trail and were rewarded with a sighting of the cattle and also a herd of Exmoor ponies. On the way back my brother and I met a family of pigs which ignored us completely, walking closely past us without any show of recognition.

When we met up again my brother drove us closer to the far reaches of the trail and my daughter and I went to the area where she'd seen the cattle earlier, but unfortunately they'd moved on.

A great day out, rounded off by a meal with other family folk at The Bell in Hampton. My brother and I are going up to London tomorrow so I hope we are still capable of walking!.