Attenborough-backed appeal completes £30m Rothbury Estate purchase
The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have bought the 9,500-acre Rothbury Estate after a two-year public fundraising appeal.
At a glance
- Conservationists bought the 9,500-acre Rothbury Estate after a two-year £30m public appeal backed by Sir David Attenborough.
- The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust aim to create a 40-mile wild corridor from the North East coast to the Scottish border.
- Some tenant farmers opposed the purchase and a councillor criticised Defra's contribution of nearly £2m.
Conservationists have completed the purchase of the Rothbury Estate, a 9,500-acre stretch of upland Northumberland, after a two-year public appeal that raised £30m and was backed by Sir David Attenborough.
The Wildlife Trusts, a federation of 47 conservation charities, and Northumberland Wildlife Trust said they plan to "enhance the rich natural heritage" of the estate, which takes in former grouse moor, woodland and farmland. Buying the land in full also removes fears that it could be split among several owners.
The estate was owned by Lord Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland's youngest son, and had been in his family for about 700 years. It was understood to be the largest area of land put up for sale in England in decades.
In 2024 the wildlife organisations bought an initial tract covering the Simonside Hills and a mixture of lowland, woods, riverside and farmland. That deal included an agreement to buy the remainder if they could raise £30m within two years, with the ambition of creating a 40-mile (64km) "wild" corridor stretching from the North East coast to Kielder and the Scottish border.
The trusts have now announced they took out a "low-interest loan to bridge the short-term funding gap between pledged monies still to be received and the fundraising target, ensuring completion of the entire estate".
Sir David described the project as an opportunity "to create something very special for generations to come".
Farming community split The purchase was not universally welcomed. Chris Armstrong, a tenant farmer overseeing 1,000 acres close to the site, told the BBC earlier this year that the community was divided, likening the split to the Brexit vote, and said most of the farming community regarded the purchase as "a folly".
Defra funding criticised Guy Renner-Thompson, chairman of Northumberland Conservatives, questioned Defra's contribution. He said the pledge showed the government "has its priorities wrong" given the difficulties farmers across the country have faced in securing sustainable farming incentive (SFI) funding, noting that an application window opened and closed the same day, while ministers "can find nearly £2m to help a charity buy an estate".
Nature Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter responded that the government was "stepping in to help" after thousands of members of the public gave their support to what she called a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".
Source: BBC Science.
Questions and answers
- Who owned the Rothbury Estate?
- It was owned by Lord Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland's youngest son, and had been in his family for about 700 years.
- How much did the Rothbury Estate appeal raise?
- The two-year public appeal raised £30m, and the trusts also took out a low-interest loan to bridge a short-term funding gap.
- Why did some farmers oppose the Rothbury Estate purchase?
- Tenant farmer Chris Armstrong said the community was split and compared it to the Brexit vote, adding that most of the farming community saw the purchase as a folly.
