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Rothbury Estate appeal celebrates Valentines boost as two donors give £1.5m

Sunset from Lawdenshaws © The Wildlife Trusts

Polar explorer Conrad Dickinson shares the love for historic estate with a new film as purchase deadline looms

Two generous donations received by The Wildlife Trusts to help purchase the historic Rothbury Estate in Northumberland have provided a significant boost to the start of the final months of fundraising. A philanthropist and the Monday Charitable Trust have both shared their support for nature, giving £1 million and £500,000 respectively to the appeal, taking the total raised over the £11.5 million mark just weeks after the £10 million milestone was reached.

With a target of £30 million to be raised by September 2026 to complete the purchase, these two substantial donations have come at the perfect time this Valentine’s Day, expressing their commitment to wildlife and maintaining the momentum that is now building in earnest for the appeal.

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We’re standing on the edge of a moment that won’t come again.
Conrad Dickinson

The Rothbury Estate with Conrad Dickinson (https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/hWZQkGULLL0?si=FHVCbq1G7OTL7Cht)

To celebrate moving into the final months of fundraising, The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust are excited to share a brand-new short film narrated by one of the world’s most renowned explorers and proud ‘born and bred’ Northumbrian, Conrad Dickinson. Conrad is backing the campaign to purchase the Rothbury Estate and has helped to create this short film, showcasing the beauty of the estate whilst highlighting the importance of the success of the appeal for both nature and people.

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Conrad Dickinson, polar explorer, president of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, and a Northumbrian says: 

“This is a unique and important moment in time, not just for Northumberland but for the nation. This opportunity to bring a vision to life on the Rothbury Estate where nature and people thrive side by side is extraordinary and I hope people across the UK and the world are inspired when watching this short film to donate, support the appeal and show their love for this wonderful estate. This is a special place, close to my heart, let’s work together to raise the funds to make this vision a reality.”

Katy Barke, head of nature recovery at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, says: 

“These two major donations coming at the start of the final year of fundraising to purchase the historic Rothbury Estate has been so exciting and heart-warming. To know that there is so much support for the campaign is fantastic, and we are so appreciative of every single one of the donations we have received. This fantastic start to the year has been hugely inspiring and rejuvenating. This is the year we can make protecting the future of the Rothbury Estate happen!” 

The clock is ticking on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure the future of the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland; a place of rare beauty, steeped in human history, with rolling moorlands, woodlands and wide-open starry skies. This heart-shaped haven, stretching over 3,800 hectares, holds spectacular views, hidden valleys and rivers alive with life. 

The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have already secured part of the estate, including the Simonside Hills, and in eight months’ time, the appeal must reach its target of £30m to buy the rest.

Send a virtual Valentine’s gift this year by making a donation and showing your love for nature.

Send a virtual Valentine's gift

Curlew

Curlew ©Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

Give a gift that comes straight from the heart


This Valentine's Day, gift from the wild heart of Northumberland. A gift that helps protect a rare, heart-shaped expanse of moorland, woodland and rivers in Northumberland. 

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Editor's notes

Fundraising for the Rothbury Appeal: To date, The Wildlife Trusts have received major donor gifts of £5million, £1million and several individual donations of £100,000+ towards the £30m total, as well as thousands of other donations. On New Year’s Eve 2025, the appeal reached the £10m milestone. See Rothbury Estate for Nature and the Nation.

About the Rothbury Estate:

The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland has 9,486 acres which encompass woodland, moorland and important wildlife habitats including Sites 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 waders, 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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