Charles Knight was born in Hove, Sussex and entered Brighton College of Art after World War I. He then studied at the Royal Academy Schools and etching at the Royal College of Art where tutors included Walter Sickert, George Clausen & Glyn Philpot. At college he won the Turner Medal and Landseer Scholarship and his prize entry was acquired by the Tate Gallery.
He was impressed by the East Anglian watercolours of John Sell Cotman in the 1920s that influenced his own watercoloure. He settled in Ditchling and taught at Brighton College of Art. He completed 40 watercolours of the Brighton area for the Recording Britain project during World War II - all of which are now part of the Victoria & Albert Museum Collection. His work is also held by the Government Art Collection, Towner Art Gallery, Brighton & Hove Museums & Ferens Art Gallery.
The water colour of Framlingham Castle is an exceptionally rare Suffolk subject dates from the 1930s and characteristically captures light and shade beautifully in the composition.