Lord Alexander Bruce-Lockhart died last week.

The 66-year-old had only just taken up the post of chairman when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said: "In his year with English Heritage, Sandy made a great contribution to our work."

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Lord Bruce-Lockhart was born in Wakefield on May 4, 1942, the son of John Bruce-Lockhart, later deputy director of MI6.

He was educated at Sedbergh and the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. In 1963 he went to live in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, to manage a farm.

But in 1968 he returned to England and settled in Kent where he joined the Conservative party.

He was elected to Kent County Council in 1989 and became leader of the council in 1997.

Mr Thurley said: "His gentle wisdom and insight into what people really care about; his knowledge of local government and his standing in the House of Lords will be a great loss. His family and friends have lost a much-loved, courageous man; the nation has lost a heritage crusader and the staff here at English Heritage have lost a respected leader."

Lord Bruce-Lockhart was appointed an OBE in 1995. He was knighted in 2003 and made a life peer in 2006. He married Tess Pressland in 1966 and had two sons and a daughter.

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