Rothbury Estate appeal seeks almost £10m by September

The Wildlife Trusts is trying to raise almost £10 million by the end of September to complete its planned purchase of the Rothbury Estate in northern Northumberland.

The UK conservation charity needs £30 million to acquire the whole 3,800-hectare estate, which it says could become one of Britain's biggest biodiversity sanctuaries. It has raised £20.6 million in just under two years, with more than 20,000 people contributing.

The charity bought part of the estate, including the Simonside Hills, in late 2024. The remaining land is being sold by the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, who have owned it for almost eight centuries.

Peter Batchelor, who is managing the acquisition plan for the Wildlife Trusts, told AFP the purchase was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". The current duke's son, Max Percy, has agreed to give the charity two years to raise the money for the remainder.

Conservation staff say the full estate could include restored peatlands, more woodland, scrub and cattle pastures. The Wildlife Trusts and nearby site owners hope it could one day form part of a 65-kilometre biodiversity corridor stretching inland from the estate by the North Sea.

If the fundraising effort fails, the charities fear the estate could be split up and sold to different owners. Local residents have also expressed concern about the change of ownership and possible future plans, including rumours about reintroducing wild animals. The coalition says any such move would go to public consultation.

The Wildlife Trusts says it wants to work with local farmers on more environmentally friendly practices and plans to convert an old railway line through the estate into a cycle path and hiking trail.