The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have passed the £20m mark in their fundraising drive to buy the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland. The charities signed a purchase agreement for the estate in October 2024 and launched an appeal for £30m to complete the deal within two years.
They are now asking the public for a "momentous final effort" to raise the remaining £9.3m. So far, £20.7m has been raised by more than 23,000 donors, including "several high value pledges".
Charities urge public support
Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trust, said: "We've been bowled over by the response to the appeal to secure this beautiful and inspiring place, with funding and offers of help pouring in from all over the UK and further afield. We've still got a bit of a climb to get to the summit, but the thousands of messages of personal support show just how strongly people feel about The Rothbury Estate and believe in our vision for its future, and I feel sure we can do it."
He added: "With just over two months remaining, we are steadfast in our determination to secure the Estate for people and nature. Together, we can reach the £30 million needed to purchase this remarkable Northumberland landscape and to create a place where nature and communities can thrive side by side."
Vision for the estate
The Wildlife Trusts want to create a 40-mile wide "nature corridor" linking the Northumberland Coast to Kielder Forest through the estate, and stopping the land being broken up into multiple ownerships. They plan to focus on nature recovery and regenerative farming, with the possibility of reintroducing species such as beaver, bison and golden eagles, though those are all a long way off.
The land was put up for sale in July 2023 by the Duke of Northumberland's son Max Percy. The estate, which had been in the Percy family for around 700 years, was the largest block of land to come to market in England in 30 years.
Local concerns and progress
Though the purchase has been well-received locally, some have expressed concerns regarding the sale, especially the farming community. After the sale went through in October 2024, Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett stressed the importance of preserving the long-standing farming communities in the area.
The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have already secured part of the estate, including the Simonside Hills, in a deal understood to be around £5m. On New Year's Day 2026, ChronicleLive reported that the appeal had surpassed the £10m mark, and in February that an anonymous philanthropist had donated £1m, followed by a further £500,000 from the Monday Charitable Trust. In March this year, the charity's fundraising drive passed the half-way mark.
