Rothbury: Sir David Attenborough-backed bid to buy huge Northern estate for nature and wildlife hits £10m
A conservation campaign backed by Sir David Attenborough to raise £30m to secure a vast upland estate for nature has celebrated reaching one third of the total.
The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust aim to buy a historic 9,500 acre estate near Rothbury and boost nature, restore bogs and support environmentally-friendly farming.
The estate encompasses grouse moor, woodland, farms, streams and rivers and represents the largest land sale in England for decades.
Sir David, inset, supported the bid to raise £30m when it launched in October and the campaigners have announced the total has passed £10 million by the end of 2025.
At the time, he said: “Time is running out to save the historic Rothbury Estate. This huge, heart-shaped expanse of moorland, rivers, forest and upland in Northumberland needs your help.”
People from around the world have been inspired to support the plans, with the BBC reporting that donations have come from the US, Canada and New Zealand.
Mike Pratt, chief executive of The Northumberland Wildlife Trusts, said: “It’s lovely to take this moment to reflect on the last year and celebrate this milestone, our focus is now on keeping up the fundraising drive and energy as we look towards the £20 million mark in the appeal.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity, we are working hard with the local community to grasp it.”
Liz Bonnin, president of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Let’s keep the momentum going.
“We now have a little under a year to reach the £30m target, and I know that together, we can succeed.”
The project aims to promote habitats for curlew, pine marten, beaver and golden eagle.
The hope is that the project will have an influence beyond its boundaries and will become a wildlife corridor from the Northumberland coast inland to the central border area with Scotland.