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Sir david attenborough A bid to raise £30 million to secure a vast upland property is being backed by conservationists Nature,
wildlife The Trust and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust are attempting to complete the purchase of the Rothbury Estate, a 15 square mile area of former grouse moor. woodlandfields, streams and riversWith plans to promote wildlife, restore wetlands and champion nature-friendly farming.
The historic estate is the largest area of land to be put up for sale in England in decades, and nature experts say it could be a 40-mile “wild” corridor of protected landscapes, nature reserves and wildlife-focused properties stretching from the coast to Kielder and the Scottish Borders.
Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said the purchase was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to do something meaningful for nature on a large scale, through restoring and protecting habitat, reforesting, increasing access to the countryside and producing sustainable food.
To raise the £30 million needed to secure the entire estate, or risk it being broken up and sold for uses such as commercial forestry, which will bring no benefit to nature, Sir David is urging people to support the bid.
In a video supporting the appeal, the leading naturalist and TV presenter said time was running out to save “the vast, heart-shaped expanse of moorland, rivers, woods and uplands in Northumberland”.
He added: “People know and love the Simonside hills that rise here, they walk over the peaks and listen to the sound of curlews, they keep an eye out for red squirrels and admire the views of them scrambling among the rocks.
“They walk its remote paths and marvel at the stunning rock carvings left by our distant ancestors who once lived here,” he said.
Sir David said the Wildlife Trust will work with local farmers and the communities who live and work in Rothbury to care for the area, rejuvenating its habitats and creating a place where people and nature can thrive together, adding: “Please help us make this vision a reality”.
A partnership between Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Wildlife Trusts – a nationwide consortium of wildlife trusts across the UK – was given two years to October 2024 to raise the £30 million needed to fully purchase the property.
Nearly £8 million, in donations ranging from £5 to £5 million, has already been raised, but the race is on to secure the remaining two thirds.
The property is home to rare wildlife, including curlew, mountain bumblebee, lapwing, red squirrel, cuckoo and marlin, as well as Atlantic salmon and critically endangered eels, but conservationists say nature can still flourish.
The trusts say they will have a “four pillar” approach to protect pre-existing special natural sites and wildlife such as red squirrels, restore degraded habitats such as native woodland and drained peatlands, reforest some areas and pursue regenerative agriculture.
Plans include bringing in large herbivorous animals including ponies, hardy cattle and eventually bison to naturally graze the land, and the hope that pine martens, beavers and golden eagles can re-adapt to the landscape.
The team will work with local farmers to move to a lower density of sheep, manage the land to support nature and use cattle and pigs to produce sustainable meat.
Local people will benefit from greater access to the estate, with the ability to create new trails including historic sites on the land, develop a visitor and education center and open a dark sky centre, and the trusts said they are committed to boosting the local economy and job opportunities.
Mr Pratt described the Rothbury estate as being situated in a nature corridor that could be “a special area for nature recovery” – the only opportunity of that scale in England.
He said the Simonside Hills were covered with rock carvings and hill forts, while the wider estate was a mix of woodland and forestry, grassland, farming and grazing areas as well as upland bogs and wetlands that needed to be restored.
“It already has a spectacular and interesting landscape, but when you look in detail, like everywhere else, a lot of the improved biodiversity is not there as it should be.
“It represents a great canvas to restore nature to that beautiful landscape,” he said.
He said the trust wanted to save Rothbury for the country and added: “We really want to have a nature-led approach with great spin-offs for people, the economy and recreation.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it’s really about trying to do something big, meaningful and lasting for nature, because oh my God, it needs it,” he said.
People can donate to the Rothbury Appeal at wildlifetrusts.org/rothbury-appeal