NOWHERE was sadness over Lord Montagu’s death felt more than in the village he helped to put on the map – Beaulieu Beaulieu Parish Council chairman Frederick Norris, who grew up in the village, said it had not come as a huge shock as it had been known he was not well.

But he said his loss would certainly be felt among residents and businesses on the estate.

Cllr Norris paid tribute to a generous man involved in village life who cared about its people and was always willing to help.

“He was devoted to Beaulieu,” he said.

“Wherever he was in the world he would always be promoting Beaulieu,” he said.

“He would always ask people if they had visited Beaulieu, it didn’t matter who it was.”

Lord Montagu had managed despite his ill health to attend this year’s village fete and visit twin village Hautvillers, where he was made a freeman earlier this year.

Cllr Norris said, until he was unable to, Lord Montagu would come around on Christmas Eve every year to all the village shops to wish people well.

“He always wanted to know what was going on in the village – he really cared for the place,” said Cllr Norris.

“He had all the showbusiness set he was friendly with but that didn’t stop him coming to Beaulieu, rushing down to buy the local papers and keeping up to speed with what was going on.”

Cllr Norris added that Lord Montagu had been one of the first to realise how estates could adapt to ensure their survival for future generations. but said it had been done “tastefully and carefully”, while providing jobs.

“He’s changed things for the better,” he said.