The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have completed the purchase of the entire Rothbury Estate in northeastern England, closing a two-year fundraising appeal with a £30 million target, the organizations said Friday. The estate covers 3,800 hectares, or about 9,500 acres.
More than 25,000 people contributed over £17 million, according to The Wildlife Trusts, with support from donors in more than 50 countries. The trusts said they took out a low-interest loan to cover the short-term gap while pledged funds were still due. They did not disclose the loan’s size or terms.
The appeal also received a £4,999,970 award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, awarded on March 12, 2026. The Wildlife Trusts said Defra pledged a further £1.94 million in October.
The trusts plan to restore habitats while working with farmers and local communities on nature-friendly farming. Their longer-term vision is for the estate to anchor a 40-mile nature corridor. Reptile surveys, soil-health testing and acoustic monitoring are scheduled to begin next month.
The trusts bought part of the estate, including the Simonside Hills, in October 2024 and had two years to raise the money for the remainder.
The Guardian quoted local councillor Guy Renner-Thompson as saying estate farmers had raised concerns about future food output, land management and business viability. Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, told the paper the organization wanted to show that wildlife recovery could be compatible with a productive farming model.
