Wildlife Trusts receive £250,000 National Lottery boost to help buy Rothbury Estate in Northumberland
The Wildlife Trusts have received a £250,000 boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to kickstart the purchase of Rothbury Estate.
In October 2024, The Wildlife Trusts, along with Northumberland Wildlife Trust, bought part of the Rothbury Estate and have until autumn of 2026 to raise £30m to complete the purchase of the land.
The estate has been in the ownership of a single family for almost eight centuries and its sale represents the largest area of land to come on the market in England in 30 years.
The charities aim to care for the precious wildlife of the Rothbury Estate and bring back natural abundance to the area.
The £250,000 funding will lay the foundations for its future and ensure that work begins to transform it into the beating heart of a 40-mile nature recovery corridor across northern England.
Drew Bennellick, Head of Land and Nature Policy at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to be able to support The Wildlife Trust in developing their ambitious plans for the Rothbury Estate thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.
“This funding will be used to plan how the working landscape of the Rothbury Estate can play a critical role in nature’s recovery whilst delivering essential social and economic benefits for local people too.” Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
"Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to care for this very special place that means so much to the people who live and work there, as well as to the many visitors – from Newcastle all the way to New Zealand – who love it too.”
Thirzah McSherry, director of development at The Wildlife Trusts, added: “We’re indebted to National Lottery players that we can now crack on with the task of understanding more about the magic and minutiae of the Rothbury Estate.
“From its ancient rock carvings to the rare plants that could thrive there once more – we’ll now be able to unearth more of its mysteries and find out best how to care for this magnificent landscape.”