Sir David Attenborough Backs £30 Million Appeal to Create UK’s Largest Nature Corridor

NORTHUMBERLAND, UK – Legendary broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough has lent his influential support to a major appeal aiming to raise £30 million ($40 million) to purchase and conserve the vast Rothbury Estate in North East England.

The estate, covering 9,486 acres (nearly 3,840 hectares) in the heart of Northumberland, is the largest single piece of land to be listed for sale in England in the last 30 years. Its sale by the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, after almost seven centuries of ownership, presents a “once in a lifetime nature opportunity,” according to conservationists.

The Wildlife Trusts, in partnership with the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, aims to use the land to create a crucial 40-mile (64-kilometer) “nature corridor” stretching from Druridge Bay on the North East coast through to the Scottish border at Kielder Forest.

Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, backs the appeal, calling for protection of the area before it’s too late.

In October 2024, the Trusts successfully purchased the western side of the estate, including the famed Simonside Hills, and have now launched the public appeal to secure the remaining sections.

“We need to invest in nature if we want it to work,” said Mike Pratt, CEO of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, emphasizing the scale of the required funds.

The land is currently home to endangered species like the red squirrel, the UK’s smallest falcon (the merlin), and summer breeding birds such as the wood warbler. However, the conservation plan, which involves an area roughly the size of the Greek capital Athens, focuses heavily on large-scale rewilding to increase biodiversity.

Future plans include potentially reintroducing traditional breeds like rare-breed cattle, original horses and ponies, and perhaps even beavers and European bison.

The Trusts plan to work with local farmers, not against them, to ensure sustainable meat production and boost the local economy. Pratt stressed the need for large sites to meet the UK government’s commitment to protect 30% of its land and sea for nature by 2030.

Rothbury Estate is home to endangered red squirrels.

With just one year remaining to meet the £30 million target—September 2026—Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, joined the appeal to mobilize support.

“People know and love the Simonside Hills that rise here,” Attenborough said in a statement. “With the communities who live and work at Rothbury, The Wildlife Trusts will create a place where people and nature can thrive side by side.”

So far, the charity has raised just under a third of its goal, mostly from local individual donations. If the appeal fails, Pratt fears the land will be fragmented and sold for commercial forestry or intensive farming, which would eliminate the rare chance for large-scale nature restoration.