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Future of The Rothbury Estate secured for nature and the nation as The Wildlife Trusts complete largest fundraising campaign ever

Heather on Simonside, part of The Rothbury Estate © The Wildlife Trusts

Sir David Attenborough heralds the opportunity “to create something very special for generations to come.”

Today, two years since the launch of their most ambitious fundraising appeal to date, The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust can announce they have successfully completed the purchase of the entire heart-shaped Rothbury Estate in Northumberland.  

Backed by Sir David Attenborough, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), The National Lottery Heritage Fund and more than 25,000 people, the once in a generation opportunity to purchase the 9,500-acre estate (equivalent in size to Athens), coupled with an ambitious vision for landscape-scale nature recovery, will now become a reality thanks to donations big and small.  

Sir David Attenborough smiling, sitting at a table with a vase of flowers in the foreground

(C) Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Sir David Attenborough, president emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, says: 

“The Wildlife Trusts called for your support and you answered in your thousands. The appeal to secure the future of The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland has been successful and now the opportunity to bring the vision of a landscape where nature and people thrive side by side can become a reality. This will be a place where nature, community, farming and heritage can combine to create something very special for generations to come.  

“Thank you very much.” 

The announcement follows UK Government recognition of The Rothbury Estate at COP17, the global biodiversity summit, where it was named as playing a significant role in helping the country reach 30by30, a global target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. 

From individual donations to major gifts and charitable grants, every contribution since efforts began in 2024 has played a vital role in the fundraising appeal’s success with support received from across the UK and over 50 countries worldwide including Finland, Barbados, Kenya and New Zealand. Locally, groups including the Rothbury WI, the Cycling Cranks cycling club and Curvy Sounds guitar shop have all backed the campaign and raised important funds. 

The appeal has united wildlife champions around the globe in a shared commitment to restore nature and create a lasting legacy at The Rothbury Estate for future generations. 

To secure this extraordinary opportunity and honour the support of thousands of donors, the charities have taken 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. With The Rothbury Estate secured in its entirety, ambitious plans to restore nature on the land can now get underway.  

Throughout the two-year fundraising appeal, a series of transformational grants and donations from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Monday Charitable Trust, Samworth Foundation, Ringtons and anonymous philanthropists helped drive the appeal forward.  In total, gifts from members of the public raised over £17 million. 

Sir David Attenborough's backing generated more than £1 million in donations in just one week, while a £5 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in March 2026 marked a major milestone, taking the appeal past the halfway point and giving the fundraising push a huge vote of confidence. This month, a grant of £1.94 million was pledged by Defra, an endorsement of the national significance of The Rothbury Estate and the positive impact it will have on nature’s recovery. 

The Rothbury Estate thank you video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON0Vga8PwB4)

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says: 

"It is fantastic news that The Rothbury Estate has been successfully acquired by The Wildlife Trusts thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. By working with local communities to develop new approaches to land management, this transformational project has the potential to deliver nature recovery at a grand scale, helping to reconnect people to the unique natural and cultural heritage of this remarkable and nationally significant landscape."  

As the entire estate moves into the care of The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, work begins to turn the ambitious vision for The Rothbury Estate into a reality. Together, with the community, they hope to create a landscape where nature-friendly farming and wildlife thrive together, habitats are restored at scale, and more people can enjoy and connect with this special place and its rich heritage. 

Craig Bennett OBE, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says:  

“Together, we have secured the future of The Rothbury Estate. Thanks to the support of tens of thousands of people, funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and several major donors, we now have an incredible opportunity to restore nature at scale. Working alongside local communities, farmers and fellow land managers who know and care for this landscape so deeply, we can help this special place continue to thrive for generations to come. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to sharing the next exciting chapter of The Rothbury Estate's story as it evolves.” 

On sections of the estate purchased by The Wildlife Trusts in October 2024, a range of projects have already been underway to help build their understanding of the estate’s wildlife, landscapes and history. Surveys, research, local volunteers and community groups including archaeologists, birders, academics, the Scouts and the WI have all played a part in helping develop that knowledge. 

New citizen-science initiatives launching next month include reptile surveys, soil health testing and an autumn acoustic monitoring survey, all of which will help to inform the transformation of this landscape for generations to come. Local people are encouraged to get involved through Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s website.  

To keep up to date with projects and plans on The Rothbury Estate, including the role it will play in a new 40-mile nature corridor from the northeast coast to Kielder on the central Scottish border, visit www.wildlifetrusts.org/rothbury-estate 

Notes to editors

Some of the funders who have supported the campaign include: 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund 

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) 

Esmée Fairburn Foundation 

Monday Charitable Trust 

The Northwick Trust 

The Samworth Foundation 

Ringtons 

Rothbury Women’s Institute 

Curvy Sounds 

Cycling Cranks 

Budle Bay Caravan Park 

Additional donor quotes: 

Colin Smith, 4th generation family member and director, Ringtons  

“As a family business, we understand better than most that some things are worth protecting for generations to come. This campaign aligns perfectly with the aims of The Ringtons Environmental Fund specifically established to support causes that are good for the planet. We hope this gift helps ensure Rothbury is still standing, wild and beautiful, for our grandchildren's grandchildren." 

Ted Liddle, Cycling Cranks Organiser 

“Cycling Cranks is a small cycling club in Northumberland with 50 members who wish to show their support for The Wildlife Trusts’ and Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s laudable ambition to purchase a 15square mile area south of Rothbury to provide a higher level of wildlife management, improve public access and ideally repurpose the disused railway track which crosses the property as a Greenway path to be enjoyed recreationally by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and disabled people. It is a unique opportunity to provide new, managed countryside access with benefits for health and wellbeing. We only wish other outdoor active groups would follow our example to help progress this environment-focused and community-facing initiative”. 

Jess Mills, Co-owner Curvy Sounds, Newcastle 

"The Rothbury Estate is a special place to my husband Andrew and me, and to so many people across the North East. Curvy Sounds is all about supporting the music community so we were delighted so many of our friends from the music community were able to unite with us and grasp the chance to preserve this incredible area for both wildlife and people." 

About the Rothbury Estate: 

The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland has 9,486 acres which encompass woodland, moorland and other important wildlife habitats, with some designated asSites of Special Scientific Interest. The Simonside Hills on the western side of the Estate have an important place in the hearts of Northumbrians. By acquiring The Rothbury Estate, The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust aim to enhance the rich natural heritage of the Estate for future generations, create a sustainable future for local farmers and avoid the land being broken up into multiple ownerships, which would make access for the public more difficult.  

The Estate’s dramatic uplands are already home to curlew, mountain bumblebee, lapwing and other wading birds, whilst its woodlands provide a refuge for endangered red squirrels. Cuckoo and merlin – the UK’s smallest falcon – are also found here. In spring, the Simonside Hills are alive with the sound of skylarks singing high in the air as they mark out their territories and try to attract a mate. In summer, flowers such as harebell, wild thyme, devil's-bit scabious, maiden pink, rockrose and mountain pansy bring colour to the grasslands. Salmon and critically endangered eels swim in the Estate’s rivers and its riverside woodlands support rare summer breeding birds such as wood warbler, redstart and pied flycatcher. 

But this rich tapestry of wildlife could be richer still, with the return of more species and in much greater numbers in the next decade. Longer-term and building on these foundations, we could also see secretive pine marten moving softly through the forests, beaver on the waterways and ancient breeds of cattle grazing in woodland glades. 

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