The Rothbury Estate purchase has been finalized after a two-year £30 million public fundraising drive backed by prominent supporters including Sir David Attenborough, according to conservation groups involved in the deal.
The Wildlife Trusts, a federation of 47 conservation charities, and Northumberland Wildlife Trust said they intend to enhance the natural heritage of the 9,500-acre site, which includes former grouse moor, woodland, and farmland. The acquisition averts concerns the land could have been split among multiple owners.
Rothbury Estate purchase and conservation plans
Sir David called the move an opportunity “to create something very special for generations to come.”
Some local farmers opposed the effort, warning the purchase would be “a folly.”
The estate, owned by Lord Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland’s youngest son, has been in the family for roughly 700 years and was thought to be the largest area of land offered for sale in England in decades.
Fearing reduced public access if the property was divided, the organizations initially bought a tract in 2024 that included the Simonside Hills along with a mix of lowland, woodland, riverside, and farmland.
They also secured an agreement to purchase the remainder of the estate if they could raise £30 million within two years, with ambitions to create a 40-mile, or 64-kilometer, wild corridor linking the North East coast to Kielder and the Scottish border.
The groups now say they have taken a low-interest loan to bridge the short-term gap between pledged donations still to arrive and the total fundraising target, allowing completion of the entire estate purchase.
