‘Don’t forget the farmers’ plea as Wildlife Trusts buy Rothbury estate

Whenever I drive out of our village towards Rothbury, if the weather is fine and/or if there is snow about, there’s an inspiring view of the slightly jagged outline of the Simonside hills. These hills form part of the 3,800-hectare Rothbury estate, which is being purchased from Lord Max Percy, son of the Duke of Northumberland, by the Wildlife Trusts, in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

There was much speculation in 2023, when the estate came on the market, about who might buy it. The Squirrel headlined our article about the sale, ‘This Land Is Your Land?’.

It might have been a bit provocative – but has that headline, sort of, come true?  The Wildlife Trusts have launched a £30 million appeal to secure the entire estate – “for nature and the nation”. As part of a phased purchase the charities promise to consult locals on plans to “create a showcase for nature recovery on a vast scale”.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust says its aims include creating “a sustainable future for local farmers and avoid the land being broken up into multiple ownerships, which would make access for the public more difficult”.

Wildlife at Simonside includes curlew, red grouse, merlin, cuckoo, mountain bumblebee, emperor moth and red squirrels, says the trust, which envisages a “40-mile wildlife-rich corridor, connecting the coast at Druridge Bay to the Scottish border at Kielderhead and Whitelee Moor national nature reserves, with the Rothbury estate at its heart”.

There are some sceptical and dissenting voices. The county councillor for Rothbury, Steven Bridgett, told the Northumberland Gazette that “the environment is important but equally important is food security, as is supporting our farmers and the local economy. The last thing we want is to see them slowly eased out as we have seen in other areas, or a god-awful visitor centre … part of the attraction of the Simonside hills is they are untouched by development. Let’s keep it that way.”

The Campaign for Protection of Moorland Communities said: “Consultation is not negotiation, and after it is over, the new owners will do as they wish. They always do.”

So far the Wildlife Trust have raised over £6 million towards their £30 million crowdfunding target for buying the Rothbury estate over the next two years. If you want to contribute here’s the weblink https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/rothbury-estate-nature-and-nation                                                                                        

Greg Freeman