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Wilder Wallington – a place that works for people and nature

Orange tip butterfly in the wildflower meadow at Wallington
Orange tip butterfly in the wildflower meadow at Wallington | © Emily Johnson

Wallington has big ambitions. The team of staff, volunteers, tenants, partners and the local community are aiming high and setting out to achieve critical nature-renewal across this vast 5321 ha estate and beyond. We’re teaming up with our neighbours to make things bigger, better and more joined up so people and nature can thrive together. As the largest intact Estate owned by the National Trust (2% of our total land holding), the opportunity to make a real difference is one that cannot be ignored.

About Wallington

Wallington is a culturally rich landscape, shaped by its legacy as an agricultural estate. In many ways the setting of the Wallington Estate, with its amazing views, walks, castle, woodlands and lakes, was Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan’s greatest gift when he left the entire estate to the National Trust in 1941. He was a passionate advocate of the great outdoors and the right to roam. The plan has always been to share this passion, along with our knowledge for looking after nature, with visitors and supporters as well as connecting the house and its extraordinary collection with the wider estate.   

Many iconic species such as red squirrel, bats, raptors, white clawed crayfish and now beavers call Wallington home, and conservation projects are underway to support and protect these species.  

The estate is a jigsaw piece within the wider Northumberland landscape and we are working with others, we are working with others including Groundwork NE, Vincent Wildlife Trust and our farmers to make an impact at scale. Our ambitious plans include:   

  • Bringing rivers back to life by helping to slow the flow of water and alleviate flooding, repairing banks, creating new habitats for wildlife and tackling the rise of invasive non-native species through the Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change project. This project will be delivered in conjunction with a number of different partners. 

  • Encouraging the migration of pine martens from a population established just north of the estate, in partnership with the Vincent Wildlife Trust, which will help increase biodiversity to the area. 

  • Since 2021 nearly 319,000 trees have been planted in woodland compartments, hedgerow, wood pasture and riparian (riverside) corridors across the estate. This is a hugely important first early step towards the ambition at Wallington to plant 1 million trees by 2030. The work being carried out this year will also involve the final works to restore areas blown down in Storm Arwen by planting with native trees. 

  • Restoration of wetland and peatland to slow the flow of water, contributing to natural flood management 

  • Restoration of species-rich grassland on Wallington’s Front Park.

  • Developing our new Wilder Wallington Project volunteer team to help us monitor and survey the Estate for birds, bats, plants, butterflies and more 

What is Wilder Wallington aiming to achieve long term? 

This project is aiming to: 

  • Ensure access, enjoyment and exploration of the Estate is easy with peace and tranquillity across a landscape that is rich in nature and history experienced by all 

  • Help land management become more nature friendly and increase the climate change measures that are in place across the estate including creating new woodland, restoring wetlands, peatland restoration and protecting soils 

  • Support tenants to incorporate nature recovery schemes in farm business plans 

  • Successfully deliver nature recovery at a landscape scale through a nationally recognised transformational land management restoration programme 

  • Help natural processes operate in restored habitats with healthy soils storing carbon and water 

  • Make wildlife habitats bigger, better, and more joined up. Introduce key species and expand their ranges. Ensure habitats are well connected allowing species to move freely across the Estate and beyond to important biodiversity hotspots 

Aerial view of Gallows Hill Farm at the heart of the Wallington estate
Aerial view of Gallows Hill Farm at the heart of the Wallington estate | © National Trust

What are the timescales? 

Wilder Wallington is a long-term project, with milestones set up along the way. The last couple of years have seen the start of the process with the mass tree planting as part of the DEFRA funded Green Recovery Challenge Fund. There have also been river quality studies, habitat surveys, ongoing native species conservation programmes and crucially the start of discussions with tenant farmers, partners and the community about what we all hope to achieve. Shorter-term goals have been identified looking at what is achievable quickly, but a lot of this ambition will take time to achieve, we’re setting 2030 as a key date to see significant change and improvement across the Wallington estate. 

In 2024 we worked on: 

  • Baseline Habitat Surveys 

  • Water Quality Monitoring 

  • Drone Surveys 

  • Supporting the spread of Pine marten working with Vincent Wildlife Trust 

  • Water vole feasibility 

  • Identifying grant funding opportunities 

  • Engaging tenants and other stakeholders in the design processes 

  • Delivery of Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change grant works in partnership with Groundwork NE 

  • The planting of 7.6km of hedgerow 

  • Restoration of 104ha of lowland heath and floodplain habitat  

  • Planting 69,500 woodland trees, including the restoration of the final areas of woodland destroyed by Storm Arwen in 2021. 

  • Improving access on public rights of way, including new signage and kissing gates 

  • Continue to create opportunities for volunteers and community members to get involved. 

We have also worked beyond our boundaries, engaging and developing partnerships with our neighbours and other local organisations such as: 

  • Groundwork NE, Middleton Estate and Low Harle Farming Collective via Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change project 

  • Hepple Whitefield and other private landowners 

  • Northumberland National Park 

  • Wildlife Trust and Rivers Trusts 

  • West End Women & Girls Centre and West End Refugee Services 

  • Local communities 

 

Wilder Wallington milestones

2021 to 2024

Restoring woodland and hedgerow

Here at Wallington we have set out an ambitious target to plant 1 million trees by 2030 and by March 2025 we will be nearing a third of the trees in the ground! Although the tree planting is helping to restore and create new woodland areas, the planting is also contributing to a staggering 21km of hedgerow so far - that's from Wallington to Newcastle airport as the crow flies!

This vital habitat is important for a range of species (such as red squirrels, pine martens, hedgehogs and bats) as well as helping to capture carbon, prevent flooding, reduce pollution and keep soil nutrient-rich.

Volunteers tree planting at Wallington
Volunteers tree planting at Wallington | © Annapurna Mellor

What can you see on a visit? 

The majority of this work is taking place further into the estate, however, when you visit Wallington over the coming months and years, you will be able to find out all about the projects underway during your visit to the main visitor areas. From displays in our Visitor Welcome building, to pop up stands in the courtyard, to family-friendly events. We will be heading out into the community to bring the details to you and there will be films and other content created for the website to keep you up to date, which will also play in our Visitor Welcome building. You can see crayfish and beaver sticks in visitor welcome and have the opportunity to go on beaver enclosure tours or beaver dusk safaris with Wild Intrigue.

How can you get involved? 

Adopt a Plot
Adopt a Plot from the National Trust is a small way you can take a big step towards bringing back nature. For a monthly donation, you can help renew Wallington, on of six nature super sites across the country. Wallington has been chosen for our potential to restore nature across whole landscapes. The nature super sites cover woodlands, peatlands, grasslands, rivers and more. By donating, you'll be helping us to restore this special place where nature can quickly recover and thrive. Nature needs space to heal itself, and you can make that space. Adopt a Plot today and you can bring back nature, one plot at a time.Adopt a Plot at Wallington
Come to an event
You can also look out for events taking place across the year to get involved with from tree planting to habitat surveys and so much in between.Find out what's on at Wallington
Volunteer for us
Wallington has a wonderfully dedicated and passionate team of volunteers and we’re always looking to grow our volunteer numbers.Find out more about volunteering
A grid of images displaying different types of land within each tile

Adopt a Plot

Nature is depleting faster in the UK than almost anywhere else in the world. Donating to Adopt a Plot is a small way you can take a big step towards restoring nature across whole landscapes. From £7.50 a month, you can help renew a nature super site. These six sites, spread across the UK, have been specially selected for their potential to restore nature across whole landscapes. From woodlands and peatlands to rivers and mountains, whichever plot you choose, you’ll be helping to restore a place where nature can recover and thrive.

Adopt a Plot