Emblehope Moor, a 7,500-acre site in the far north of Northumberland, has been bought for £8.5m by Restore, a nature restoration company. The acquisition aims to create the country's largest contiguous rewilding site under single ownership.
The project plans to reintroduce species including golden eagles, curlews, black grouse, and beavers to the moor. Restore is currently seeking to raise an additional £4m to fund its 20-year scheme.
A unique aspect of the project is its ownership model. After providing financial returns for investors and repaying a crucial £4.5m Triodos Bank loan, the site will be transferred to local community or charitable ownership. Benedict Macdonald, founder and director of Restore, stated the aim is to prove that investors can receive a two-times return without the company becoming a permanent landowner.
Initial tasks for Restore include rewetting desiccated peat moorland and removing non-native sitka spruce. Exmoor ponies are also to be introduced to graze down thick moorland grass, which is currently considered a fire risk.