Rothbury Estate purchase appeal passes halfway with £5m grant

Conservation groups attempting to buy a huge stretch of land in the north east of England have secured £5m towards their goal. The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust are attempting to raise £30m to buy the 3,800ha (15-sq-m) Rothbury Estate in Northumberland in a bid to boost biodiversity. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the latest organisation to donate to the appeal and its pledge takes the amount amassed so far to £16m, but to unlock the latest grant the appeal must raise the remainder of the funding by the end of September 2026. The Wildlife Trusts' president Liz Bonnin said the grant was a "major step towards securing the beautiful and historic" estate. "The opportunity for us to shape the next chapter in its story is incredibly exciting and we are so grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their backing," she said. The groups previously purchased part of the estate, including the Simonside Hills, from the Duke of Northumberland's son, Lord Max Percy, in 2024. The current fundraising effort gained support from people around the world after Sir David Attenborough backed the appeal last year. But the plans have not been popular with everyone, inclu