The biggest landscape investigation ever undertaken by The Wildlife Trusts is underway on The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland. The unique scientific surveys into the wildlife, ecology and history of vast 9,500-acre estate will unlock the secrets of its wildlife and historic landscape.
The studies bring together leading universities, a music artist, local community groups and Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
Acoustic monitor [AudioMoth] being prepared for installation © The Wildlife Trusts
The University of Oxford, alongside members of the Rothbury community, have installed a network of 20 acoustic sensors, known as AudioMoths, to monitor birds and bats as well as other species including small mammals and insects. Using machine‑learning algorithms, the recordings will be analysed to identify species presence and activity across different habitats.
Unlike most acoustic surveys which are carried out only in spring and summer, this project will monitor wildlife all year round, providing a rare insight into seasonal change and the impacts of climate change over time. Crucially, the work will also establish a true evidence baseline of the estate’s wildlife before any habitat restoration begins – highly unusual with this type of monitoring which, in most cases, only happens once work is underway.
Soil sampling and dating taking place on The Rothbury Estate © The Wildlife Trusts
In a first‑of‑its‑kind pilot project, Newcastle University, University of St Andrews and Durham University will combine soil environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling with optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, to find out how the land was used in the past, and what plants grew there over recent millennia. The results will shed new light on historical ecology and land‑use change across one of England’s most important ancient places.
Louis VI, Ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, installing an acoustic monitor
University researchers have been joined by local community groups, including bat, bird and archaeology specialists to install sensors and dig test pits over a 3-day period.
Music artist, zoologist and field recordist Louis VI, an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, has taken part in the acoustic monitor installation. There are plans for him to create a musical piece inspired by and using the wildlife recordings in the future.
Dr Ella Browning, Postdoctoral Researcher in Ecoacoustics at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at, The University of Oxford says:
“We’re incredibly excited to gain new insights into the bats, birds and other species across this very special place using year-round acoustic surveying. The study will provide a robust baseline, rarely captured, from which we can monitor changes to biodiversity over time and track the impact of nature recovery approaches. This project will allow us to listen to the soundscape in extraordinary detail and we’re looking forward to sharing the sounds of Northumberland nature so many can enjoy it.”
Dr Sam Turner, Professor of Archaeology, Newcastle University says:
“The landscape of the Simonside Hills has been shaped for thousands of years through the interaction of people and nature. Our team integrates cutting-edge scientific methods to understand how natural environments have developed through time – in this case over the last 2,000 years – with results showing what past landscapes were like to help provide ideas for land management in the future.”
Duncan Hutt, Director of Conservation at Northumberland Wildlife Trust says:
“The Rothbury Estate is a unique and special place where nature, history and people’s lives come together. This new research will guide our vision for the large‑scale restoration of nature over a vast 9,500 acres, while involving people every step of the way. We’re really looking forward to deepening our knowledge of the wildlife that calls this special place home and sharing that with the public over the months to come.”
The Rothbury Estate already supports a remarkable range of species, including rare red squirrels, hares, eight of Northumberland’s nine bat species, and red‑listed, endangered, birds such as cuckoo, curlew, merlin and skylark. Rare plants including rock bristle moss, frog orchid, dwarf cornel and petty whin are also found on the estate.
Its archaeological richness spans thousands of years, from prehistoric burial cairns and Bronze Age mounds to Iron Age hill forts, beautiful Neolithic rock carvings, medieval field systems and later industrial heritage.
The acoustic monitoring project is funded by the University of Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and The Wildlife Trusts. Funding for the soil dating project is provided by UKRI (Economic and Social Research Council) - Impact Accelerator grant.
In 2024, The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust secured part of the Estate, with a vision to restore it at the heart of a 40‑mile nature corridor stretching across northern England, from the coast to Kielder. There are now just five months left to finish raising the £30m needed to buy the entire Estate.
The charities are still in the process of fundraising to buy the Estate – the largest piece of land to go on the market in England for 30 years – and create a showcase for nature recovery on a vast scale. The project is backed by Sir David Attenborough and Conrad Dickinson, among thousands of other well-wishers.
The new research will establish a scientific baseline against which nature recovery can be measured. In partnership with Oxford University, Newcastle University, the University of St Andrews, Durham University and the local community, and overseen by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, the projects will use cutting‑edge science to establish an evidence base for the Estate’s nature and land‑use history, at the very start of this ambitious programme.
Acoustic monitoring
The surveys will be repeated twice each season across the year and then over a number of years. This project will allow us to track how the Estate’s soundscape and its ecosystems change as nature recovery progresses.
Historical ecology analysis
Small, one‑metre‑deep test pits have been dug to collect soil samples that will reveal which plants and animals were present in the past, and crucially, when. By using these two methods together for the first time, researchers will be able to date flora and fauna remains to within a 50‑year window, stretching as far back as 1000 years into the past.
The Rothbury Estate appeal: To date, The Wildlife Trusts have received major donor gifts and grants 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 and in March 2026, the appeal went past the halfway mark thanks to a £5m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. See Rothbury Estate for Nature and the Nation.
Related announcements:
