In 2024 Knepp Wildland applied to have the Knepp Estate and Storrington jointly designated as a ‘European Stork Village’
This was in recognition of Knepp’s reintroduction and breeding success of the white stork. The application to Euronatur was accepted and announced in mid-March 2025. Only one area per country may be granted this status. Euronatur is a charitable foundation who run the ‘European Stork Villages Network’ initiative. Their aim is the protection of wildlife and its habitats in Europe.
The formal conferment of European Stork Village will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025. This honour will be celebrated by a “White Stork and Nature Revival” Festival organised by Storrington and Sullington Parish Council. Representatives from Euronatur will come to Storrington to formally award the certificate jointly to the owners of the Knepp Estate and the Chair of the Parish Council on behalf of the Storrington community. There will be a variety of family-friendly activities, stalls and talks in and around the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre between 10:00 and 16:30, with the naming ceremony at 10:30am. Parking will be at Hormare Field, just off the A283 and only a short walk away.
It is worth reading on to learn about the background to these festivities.
The association of Storrington with storks is clear, although there are alternative interpretations. It is often stated that the Saxon name for Storrington – ‘Estorchestone’, means ‘the village of the storks’. In the 12th century it was known as ‘Storketon’, or ‘Storcatun’ in old English, meaning ‘homestead with storks’. Others claim that Estorch may have been the name of the local chieftain, and that Estorchestone meant Estorch’s village or homestead. Another theory is that the area may have supported a significant population of stork-like birds such as herons and egrets and that these were referred to as storks. Though it’s doubtful our ancestors, with a much closer connection to nature, couldn’t tell the difference! Whichever way, Storrington celebrates its storks and the village sign, unveiled in 2002 at Place Villerest in the heart of the village, has two storks as its emblem.
Around Storrington, particularly north and east of the village, there are a number of wet and marshy areas around the Arun Valley, which could have supported large numbers of wetland birds. Before storks became extinct in the UK, about six hundred years ago, there may well have been a population of storks in the area. There is strong evidence that white storks are native to the British Isles and were once widely distributed. Habitat loss e.g. due to draining of wetlands, hunting and persecution led to their decline so that they became extinct in the British Isles, at least as a breeding species, in the early 15th century. After that date, they remained irregular visitors to Britain, flying over but no longer settling to form colonies.
L. Kadava
In recent years storks have again become associated with the area through the reintroduction of storks at Knepp Wildland. Its ‘White Stork Project’ seeks to re-establish a wild, breeding population of white storks in the UK. Knepp’s new generation of storks now once again migrate to Southern Europe and Africa in the late summer and early autumn and return in the spring. Storks are increasingly seen foraging on sites such as the RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks and around Amberley. As the Knepp population of storks increases, it is likely they will seek new nesting sites outside of the Knepp Estate.
Habitats that support white storks also support other species. Also, their nests can provide:
- a habitat for other species, including invertebrates that are a food source for other species, and
- nesting sites for other birds, such as sparrows and starlings which will inhabit the stork nests while the storks are using them, but also other birds.
Keep an eye on the live 24/7 stork’s nest webcam at Knepp.
A recent initiative by the South Downs Trust is to raise funds to support the restoration of dew ponds across the South Downs. This ‘Pounds for Ponds’ initiative has enabled the South Downs National Park Authority to restore a number of dew ponds in the South Downs landscape to help nature thrive, and it aims to restore many more. Dew ponds support amphibians like frogs, toads, and newts, as well as insects, birds, and small mammals, all of which are a food source for foraging white storks. Locally, one such restored dew pond is at Chantry Hill, just above Storrington. We could be seeing white storks on this site and a number of other sites on the South Downs in future years.
Storks and wetlands belong together and thus the white stork is the European ambassador for the protection and restoration of wetlands, wet meadows and pastures. A nature festival will be held in Storrington each year from now on in celebration of the white stork as a symbol for nature recovery and to inspire people to take further action to restore the natural environment.
Written by Joan Grech, Storrington resident and conservation volunteer,
Horsham District Councillor for the Storrington & Washington Ward,
HDC’s representative on the South Downs National Park Authority
