A Norfolk farm owner who left a “transformational” legacy for nature has been honoured with a top conservation award at the Royal Norfolk Show.

The 2024 Grey Partridge Award was presented in memory of Robin Carver, who died in January at the age of 91.

He bought Hole Farm in Hempstead in 1982 and retired there full-time with his wife Rose in the early 1990s.

Since then, they planted 150,000 trees, adding 67 acres of new woodland, and nine miles of hedgerows.

This “labour of love” transformed the farm from a barren, windswept prairie into a lush haven for wildlife – earning plaudits including the national Silver Lapwing prize.

Mr Carver’s family said they were proud to accept the Grey Partridge Award in memory of a much-missed conservation champion.

His son-in-law, Charles Inglis, said: “We all miss Robin enormously. One thing I would like to say is that when the Silver Lapwing award judges came around Hole Farm they said to me that we recognise sustainability is no longer good enough. If we are going to get our wildlife back into some kind of order, we actually need transformational change.

"Robin and Rose had the foresight to do that.”

Mrs Carver said: “Robin would have been delighted and proud. He has changed the landscape. The land was very barren and bare before he got to work.”

And Mr Carver’s daughter Airlie Inglis added: “He was basically an amateur forester, but he has had a transformational impact within his own lifetime.

“From the age of 50 to 90, he transformed the farm. So it shows that you can do it, and you don’t have to do it when you are young - you can still have a huge impact that you can see.”

The award was presented by law firm Mills and Reeve, where Mr Carver had also been a partner, having joined the firm in 1970.

Senior partner Justin Ripman said: “When Robin and Rose retired full-time to Hole Farm, it became a labour of love, and he dedicated the rest of his life to creating the most wonderful habitat and environment, Even aged 90 he could be seen standing on the bonnet of his red Land Rover, high-pruning trees.

“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this trophy, awarded by his firm, for people who have achieved so much in the area of sustainability and environment.”