Wildlife Trusts raise £30m to buy Northumberland's Rothbury estate

The Wildlife Trusts, a network of nature charities, have raised £30m to buy the Rothbury estate in Northumberland, in north-east England, The Guardian reported on 30 October 2026.

The estate covers more than 3,800 hectares, or nearly 15 square miles. It was put up for sale by Max Percy, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland. According to the Guardian, it is the largest piece of land in single ownership to come up for sale in England in more than 30 years.

Of the £30m, £17m came from the public. David Attenborough championed the Wildlife Trusts' bid. Mike Pratt is chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, one of the organisations involved.

The appeal was not a single campaign. The Wildlife Trusts' appeal page set a deadline of the end of October 2026 to raise the full £30 million. The appeal passed £10m in early January, according to a Wildlife Trusts update.

In March, the appeal was awarded £5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which funds heritage projects. Part of the estate had already been bought in 2024. In August, the appeal passed £20m. The BBC reported at that point that organisers had two months to secure the remaining £9.3m.

A match-funding campaign in September, in which donations were matched, raised more than £1.6m, Northumberland Wildlife Trust said in mid-October.

The purchase is now reported as complete in its funding, with the £30m raised by the end of October.