A trio of forestry stalwarts received prestigious awards when the Royal Forestry Society’s South Western Division met at Eggesford Forest, near Chawleigh, Devon.

Between them, Clive Hunt from Dalton, Mark Jeffery from Tavistock and Simon Tremain from Okehampton have more than 117 years of service with Forestry England, across woodland in North and South Devon.

Simon Tremain, who has clocked up 46 years, joined the Forestry Commission in October 1973. He was the last Forestry Commission machine operator in the South West and took part in a 1989 Challenge Anneka to transform a derelict barn into a boat house. He also helped to create the planting at Eggesford to mark the 75th anniversary of the Commission.

Clive Hunt has worked on the Eggesford Forest blocks for almost 40 years under 11 successive foresters. He was instrumental in helping to establish a successful Forest Craftsperson Apprenticeship scheme.

Mark Jeffery has 32 years’ service on Dartmoor and in Tavistock Woodlands, and received a Civil Service Award for the work he carried out supervising a Dartmoor Prison rehabilitation project for 12 years.

Lord Clinton of Clinton Devon Estates, a past president of the Royal Forestry Society, presented the awards.

Kay Greenwell and Ben Philipps, beat foresters for North and South Devon, said: “Clive, Mark and Simon have made an outstanding contribution to woodlands across Devon. They are very capable and take immense pride in the work that they do. We cannot do justice to their contributions over the years.”