Tributes have poured in for TV gardener, broadcaster, author, magistrate and Morris dancer, Terry Underhill, who has died at the age of 83.

Terry moved to Rattery with his wife Dorothy and their three sons in 1980 where, a year later, his one-acre garden formed the basis of the popular weekly ‘Gardens For All’ TV show Terry presented for 11 years.

Born in London on March 28, 1938 Terry’s father was Reg Underhill, whose services to the Labour party earned him a CBE and a life peerage in Harold Wilson’s resignation honours.

Terry’s interest in gardening began with a packet of radish seeds. He went on to become an apprentice gardener with the Birmingham City Parks department and then botanical foreman at Liverpool University Botanic Gardens at Ness.

In 1960 he married fellow horticulturalist Dorothy and four years later the couple moved to the South Hams where Terry was appointed grounds and gardens superintendent at the Dartington Hall Estate.

.
Terry and Dot Underhill on their Diamond Wedding Anniversary (contributed)

During his 16 year tenure Terry became the unlikely confidant of the founders Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst – narrowly escaping being sacked by Dorothy Elmhirst for insubordination (but evidently earning her friendship in the process) and rescuing Leonard from his own recklessness with an axe.

Dartington archivist, Kevin Mount, said: “Both stories shed light on his personality. He was proud and stubborn – often uncomfortable with a country house role more strongly associated with obedient service than professional status.”

.
Terry working at the Dartington Hall Estate (Contributed)

Terry’s privately published memoir, completed not long before his last illness, gives a vivid insight into his life and times at Dartington, and describes the incident with Leonard and the axe.

Recalling the anecdote, Kevin said: “One morning Leonard appeared on the Underhill family doorstep at Gardens Cottage, blood all over his shirt and trousers and still streaming from a deep gash on his forehead.

“He had been lopping a branch – a harmless pleasure of his – but the axe had sprung at him.

“On no account was anyone to call a doctor or an ambulance, Leonard said, because, if Dorothy was to find out, she would not let him go out tree-trimming ever again.

“The gardener dutifully dressed his master’s wound, loaned him a clean shirt and drove him home to the back door of the hall from where he crept upstairs to bed.”

After leaving Dartington, Terry presented a weekly half-hour programme for Television South West.

He also enjoyed a lengthy chairmanship of the Dartington Natural History Society and leadership of the Dartington Morris dancers.

Morris dancer Ken Hudson said: “In just over a 50 year connection Terry served in every officer role, with the exception of treasurer - fulfilling some of these positions on more than one occasion.

“The morris was an integral part of Terry’s life and his overwhelming love of both the club and the tradition itself will be very difficult to replace.”

.
Morris dancers Dot and Terry Underhill collecting for charity in Rattery (contributed)

Terry also spent 10 years as a magistrate, became gardening editor for Devon Life and Cornwall Life, was chairman of the Totnes U3A and a trustee of Rattery Environment Group.

And he led botanical and wildlife tours all over the world including Africa, Europe, India and North and South America.

Dot said: “We were married for 61 years and he was an absolute gem of a husband, father and grandfather.

“He was lucky in that he was gifted with the wherewithal to go and do things. He packed more into his life than most people would have into three.

“He was very much a hands-on dad and he loved his grandchildren; he did an awful lot with them, trips abroad and days out in London - all kinds of things.”

.
Terry in the Caucasus Mountains (contributed)

Terry leaves his wife Dorothy, sons Philip and Richard (his son Duncan sadly died in 2010) and eight grandchildren.