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'Crunch time' as Rothbury Estate bid hits £20m

Samantha JaggerNorth East and Cumbria
Duncan Hutt Rolling hills with just the odd farm visible and blocks of forest taken from the top of a hill with large stones in the foreground.Duncan Hutt
The estate was marketed as including 12 farms, 23 residential properties, a caravan park, and a pub

Conservation groups attempting to buy the entirety of a vast upland estate have two months to secure £9.3m.

The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have raised £20.7m of a £30m target to purchase the 3,800 hectare (15-sq-m) Rothbury Estate in Northumberland, with plans to boost wildlife, restore bogs and promote nature-friendly farming.

The trusts have said it is "crunch time" to raise the remaining money by September, or the estate could be broken up and sold off.

The Wildlife Trusts' chief executive Craig Bennett said the teams were "bowled over by the response", with the trusts adding they were "confident we can hit the target" with the continued support.

The £20.7m amassed so far includes pledges and donations.

North East brand Ringtons is the latest organisation to donate to the appeal with a £50,000 donation, while Northumberland cycling club – the Cycling Cranks - have given £1,000.

Duncan Hutt The Simonside Hills are in the centre of the background, rising in a dome shape and covered with brown bracken. In the foreground is a stone with water gathering in holes.Duncan Hutt
The land includes the Simonside Hills in Northumberland

The Wildlife Trusts has already bought a section of the land but is seeking donations to allow it to buy the rest.

Rothbury Estate was owned by the Duke of Northumberland's youngest son, Lord Max Percy, and had been in the family for about 700 years.

The estate includes 12 farms, more than 1,800 acres (728 hectares) of woodland, 23 residential properties, a caravan park and a pub.

The charity said with this "scale of ambition comes a responsibility to plan carefully for an unsuccessful outcome of the fundraising appeal".

It said it was looking at contingency arrangements to ensure it could achieve its vision for the estate, "even in the event of a fundraising shortfall".

Duncan Hutt Rolling moorland hills, brown and purple in colour, with a blue sky above. Duncan Hutt
The Wildlife Trusts wants to introduce bison at Rothbury

The Wildlife Trusts has said it wants to reduce the number of sheep on the estate by about two thirds from 1,500 to 500 and quadruple the number of cattle to 200.

But it also wants to introduce other species - the European bison - which has been extinct in the wild in Britain for more than 6,000 years but could be making a comeback.

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, including some from the farming community who said they saw the plans as a folly.

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