Tributes paid to Nayland man Richard Wiles, who worked to revitalise village's natural environment

A man who is credited with planting and tending hundreds of trees around Nayland, and who had a memorial erected in his honour last year, has died.

Richard Wiles, 94, from Nayland House, off Bear Street, was born in London but he had been a dairy farmer in southern Africa.

After having his land and farm confiscated in 2003, he came back to the UK and settled in Nayland in 2004.

Paying tribute to Mr Wiles on Facebook, Nayland with Wissington Conservation Society chairman Mike Hunter said: “Richard had previously been a farmer in Zimbabwe and tragically lost his farm during Mugabe’s land grab.

“The sad story of this event was recorded in Richard’s book published in 2006 entitled Foredoomed is my Forest.

“Following his arrival in Nayland, Richard spent much time energy and money in planting trees along the western end of the conservation field in Nayland and in the area known as Horkesley Lock.

“In honour of his extraordinary efforts in 2018, the society erected a plaque at the entry to the area now known as Richard’s Wood.”

Mr Wiles’s daughter, Marilyn, pre-deceased him, her ashes being scattered in his carefully-tended woodland, and he is survived by his daughter, Bridget and son, Martin who both still live in Africa. His wife Beth died in 1994.

Nayland tree warden and friend, Terry Bannister, said: “As I had lived in Africa, we had more than trees in common. Richard loved our village and, although he was a very private man, he was well known and well liked.

“He understood the value of trees, and his family have planted an oak tree down by our lock in his memory.”

Mr Wiles was the son of Frank Wiles, an artist and portrait painter and served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946.

After spending countless hours clearing woodlands and tending trees, Mr Bannister said Mr Wiles’ ashes will be scattered in Nayland woodland.