Robin Page: Former One Man and his Dog host dies aged 80

Robin Page's book, The Decline of the English Village, was republished in 2019 on its 45th anniversary

The conservationist and former BBC television presenter Robin Page has died at the age of 80.

Mr Page, from Barton near Cambridge, published the critically-acclaimed The Decline of the English Village in 1974.

He set up the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT) in 1993 in response to what the charity said was concerns about intensive, industrialised farming and its impact on wildlife.

The CRT said he was a "countryside champion with a maverick spirit".

Mr Page became a familiar face on television when he presented the BBC's One Man and his Dog in the 1990s.

He became one of the first councillors on South Cambridgeshire District Council, representing the Barton ward from 1973 until 2006, and again when representing Haslingfield from 2012 to 2016 as an independent.

The former Prince of Wales, King Charles III, visited work being done by the CRT in Barton in 2003

The campaigner wrote regular newspaper columns, including for the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

In his younger days he played football for a team in Barton and as a wicketkeeper for Comberton Cricket Club.

He hosted the former Prince of Wales, King Charles III, as CRT chairman at Lark Rise Farm in Barton in 2003.

'Absolute rascal'

"A countryside champion with a maverick spirit, Robin's fervent beliefs were amplified by his writing in publications such as the Daily Telegraph," said a CRT spokesperson.

"Although in recent times he was no longer involved in our operations, we are all reflecting on his role in creating a robust charity that remains focused on promoting sustainable farming and reconnecting people with the wider countryside."

Fellow farmer and author, James Rebanks, described him as an "absolute rascal" and a "force of nature".

Conservative minister Zac Goldsmith said Mr Page's book had a "huge impact on me" and described the CRT as "far ahead of its time".