ONE OF Hampshire's best-known figures has died aged 84 after more than half a century of public service.

Former Hampshire High Sheriff Maldwin Drummond was head of the New Forest Verderers for three years and and also served as chairman of New Forest magistrates and the New Forest Consultative Panel.

He was also a leading light in countless other organisations, including the New Forest Committee.

Dubbed the ancient guardians of the Forest the Verderers police the commoning system, which allows those with special rights to let their animals roam the landscape.

Mr Drummond joined the organisation as an elected verderer in 1962 and served for 28 years before retiring in 1990 to undertake other roles.

He returned nine years later after being appointed Official Verderer following the retirement of John Burry, who had been in the job for six years.

In 1980 he was serving as a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire when he was chosen to be the new High Sheriff of Hampshire.

Ten years later he was awarded the OBE for public service and services to conservation after playing a leading role in the successful fight to stop the proposed Fawley B power station being built.

Mr Drummond, former owner of the 2,400-acre Cadland estate, became a magistrate in 1964.

He was chairman of the bench in the early 1990s, when the five magistrates' courts at Hythe, Lymington, Ringwood, Romsey and Totton were replaced by a single facility at Lyndhurst.

In 1998 Totton College invited him to become its first-ever patron, which involved helping to forge closer links between the campus and local people.

Mark Bramwell, then college principal, said: "Maldwin Drummond is one of the leading figures in the New Forest and a man of considerable influence nationally."

In the 1990s Mr Drummond was head of a consortium that launched a bid to design a new royal yacht.

The consortium came up with a £63 million proposal to replace Britannia with a 370ft square rigged sailing ship with a top speed of 15 knots and a range of 6,000 miles.

Mr Drummond died in Southampton General Hospital last Saturday after a short illness.

His son Aldred, 38, said: "He was a remarkable individual, extremely knowledgeable on every subject as well as being very kind, generous and thoughtful. He had a huge passion for his interests, which included the New Forest and Britain's maritime heritage."

Mr Drummond also leaves a widow, Gilly, and five sisters.

Anyone who wants to attend his funeral at All Saints Church, Fawley, on March 16 is asked to e-mail helen.wiseman@cadland.co.uk.