Queen guitarist Sir Brian May might buy a £35million estate on sale for the first time in 700 YEARS
- Sir Brian May was spotted viewing the £35million Rothbury estate with his wife
One of Britain’s most picturesque country estates, owned by successive generations of dukes for almost 700 years, may be set to welcome a new ‘regal’ owner.
Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Sir Brian May, 76, was spotted viewing the Rothbury estate, which has historically been owned by the Duke of Northumberland.
The musician, who was knighted by King Charles this year, was accompanied by his wife, actress Anita Dobson, as he toured the rural estate in a private helicopter. It is up for sale for the first time since 1332, with an eye-watering £35 million price tag.
Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett said: ‘We all hope this is a case of the Duke selling to Queen! It would be lovely if Brian May splashed out and bought the Rothbury estate. I think most people would agree that it would be in very good hands if he were to buy it.’
The estate sits on the edge of the Northumberland National Park and includes areas of special scientific interest, the Simonside Hills, Iron Age hill forts and stone-built farms and cottages.
Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Sir Brian May, 76, was spotted viewing the Rothbury estate, which has historically been owned by the Duke of Northumberland. He was accompanied by his wife, actress Anita Dobson (pictured right)
It is close to Rothbury, the market town which lends its name to the 9,486-acre estate. The Duke of Northumberland, 66, gifted the land to his youngest son, Max – Lord Percy, 33 – who put it on the market earlier this month. The sale does not include the Duke’s home, Alnwick Castle, which is the family seat.
Sir Brian seemed to show special interest in a nearby pub, which would be part of the purchase. A farmer said: ‘We could see the helicopter circling over the pub – he looked like he was properly checking it out. We were speculating on whether he’d call in for a pint!
‘I gather one of our postmen bumped into him and said, ‘You look just like Brian May’, and he said, ‘That’s because I am Brian May’.’
The helicopter landed at one of the estate’s 12 farms before Sir Brian and his wife, 74, continued the tour by car, accompanied by an estate agent. Later, the helicopter was tracked heading towards the £25 million mansion in Surrey where the couple live.
One neighbour said: ‘Brian May’s helicopter landed over there [in that field], and he and Anita came over and said hello to everyone.
‘I think they had a picnic lunch. They were here for a good two or three hours. They were very nice, but I’m not particularly starstruck so I didn’t ask him for a photo.’
The estate sits on the edge of the Northumberland National Park and includes areas of special scientific interest, the Simonside Hills (pictured), Iron Age hill forts and stone-built farms and cottages
Another added: ‘We’ve talked about nothing else since Brian May came here – it has been the hot topic on our local WhatsApp group. He seems like a really solid, down-to-earth bloke so would fit in well in rural Northumberland.’
Sir Brian is a popular choice for the new landlord among locals, who say they admire his stance on preserving the countryside.
Sir Brian, an avid animal-welfare campaigner, bought 157 acres of agricultural land in Dorset in 2013 and has since turned it into a woodland wildlife sanctuary known as May’s Wood.
The Rothbury estate itself is home to a range of wildlife including red squirrels, red grouse and curlews. The moorland areas, meanwhile, are breeding habitats for rare species such as merlins and cuckoos.
Estate agent Knight Frank says the ‘landmark sale [involves] the largest single block of land to come to the market in England in the past 30 years’.
A spokesman for Brian May refused to comment.
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