A MAN who spent several years caring for one of Northwich’s most popular forests has died.

Edmund Waddelove was responsible for much of Delamere Forest’s maintenance during his tenure in the 1960s, as well as the plantation of trees along the Cheshire stretch of the M6.

The 94-year-old, who died on October 15, spent six years in charge of the forest before moving on to one of the top Forestry Commision jobs in Wales
His son, 60-year-old Adrian, described Edmund as a man of ‘tremendous energy’ and determination.

“Once he set out to do something he would do it – if something was worth doing it was worth doing properly,” said Adrian, who lives in Malpass.

“He was a man of great intelligence and he knew a lot about a lot of subjects.

“We lived in the forest office during our time in Delamere – it was a time when people first started to buy authentic Christmas trees and we would have hundreds and thousands of people visiting us from all over the north west to buy their tree – it was quite a big thing.

“He was quite well known in the area during that time, for the Christmas trees and because he would go all over to do talks for WI groups about forestry.”

After his retirement, Edmund enjoyed what was almost a second career as an amateur archaeologist which involved working again in the Cheshire countryside.

His interest in archaeology was focused on the search for Roman roads and included excavations on the Grosvenor Estate at Churton and in Delamere’s Nettleford Wood.

Adrian added: “You can still see the road junction in the wood and dad helped to prove that it was in fact a Roman road.”

Edmund, who was born in Leigh and served with the Royal Artillery during World War II, died after a debilitating eight years of post hepatic neuralgia after shingles.

His funeral was held at Our Lady Help of Christians RC Church in Ruthin on October 22.

Edmund’s wife, Bernadette, died in 1997 after 53 years of marriage.

They lost their first and last daughters, Judith and Jane, in childhood but leaves behind adult children Paul, Bernard, Adrian, Steve and Claire, together with 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

Adrian added: “He was a wonderful man.”