Fundraising bid for Rothbury Estate at halfway milestone

CHARITIES hoping to buy Northumberland’s Rothbury Estate have passed the halfway mark in their fundraising bid after a £5m donation from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

- 

The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland

(Duncan Hutt Northumberland Wildlife Trust)

The latest donation takes the total to around £16.5m, with the project backed by Sir David Attenborough.

The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust signed a purchase agreement for the Rothbury estate in October 2024 and launched an appeal for £30m to complete the deal within two years.

National Wildlife Trust president Liz Bonnin said that the latest backing was a major step towards securing the estate, while Conrad Dickinson, president of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said it was a “moment to celebrate”.