Bikepacking - Knepp Estate to Banstead via Box Hill

Today's Route 

Route So Far

Travelogue 

After a chilly night and little sleep, we finally got up at 9:00. After a banana for breakfast, we took the tent down, packed up and left Knepp. The weather was glorious and the temperature rising rapidly. M1 had noted it was only 4 degrees Celsius at 6:00 so the improved temperature was very welcome.

We cycled out of Knepp and directly to Horsham, with no need for the diversion we made yesterday to get groceries. At Horsham we stopped for coffee and pastries.

From Horsham we cycled home through Dorking and up Box Hill. 

A nice trip and start to bikepacking in 2025.

Photos

On the way up Box Hill

Bikepacking - Banstead to Knepp Estate

Today's Route 

Travelogue 

Today, we set off on our first bikepacking trip of 2025. Our destination was the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, famous for its amazing rewilding project. It's only 32 miles / 52 km away from where we live so not too far away, either although the truth is, neither M1 nor M2 are exactly in peak physical condition at present so it felt further!

We're camping for one night but the highlight is that we're booked to do one of their "safaris" which is basically a guided tour on foot of the wild environment and its inhabitants. We're already surrounded by bird song coming from the trees around the camping area. Magical.

The tour itself was excellent. We spent two and a half hours walking through the rewilded landscape. We heard constant bird song and were able to identify some interesting species like the quite uncommon Common Nightingale and the Turtledove.

The star attraction though were the many White Storks nesting in the trees.

We were back at the tent by 10 pm and went straight to bed. Falling asleep was easy. M1 found staying asleep much harder though! After a lovely day with the temperature in the high twenties, it was a shock when the temperature plunged to two degrees Celsius (M1 has a Thermodrop that provides max and min temperatures). M1's summer sleeping bag is in no way suitable for such low temperatures and M1 ended up in sleeping bag, added silk liner and every item of available clothing and was still @#@! freezing! It was not a good night but fortunately the day preceding it was pretty great :-)

Photos