Rothbury Estate conservation appeal nears £30m target

The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust are nearing their £30 million fundraising goal to purchase the 3,800-hectare Rothbury Estate in Northumberland. Following a surge of £5.5 million in anonymous pledges over a single week, the campaign has reached a total of £26,272,211. The charities have until the end of October to complete the legal purchase of the 15-square-mile landscape.

The estate, which was previously held by the Percy family for approximately 700 years, includes woodland, farmland, rivers, and residential properties. The conservation groups intend to use the land to restore bogs, promote nature-friendly farming, and increase biodiversity. Specific plans include reducing sheep numbers and potentially reintroducing European bison to the area.

To ensure the purchase can proceed by the deadline, the trusts are arranging low-interest loans as a contingency. Additionally, a new match-funding initiative involving The Dixon Foundation, Ringtons, and another anonymous donor will double donations of up to £600,000 made before September 30.