Obituary: The Marquess of Bath

IT SHOULD not be forgotten that the sixth Marquess of Bath was one of the first to discern the outstanding qualities of Russell Page, the garden designer, and to give them reign at Longleat, writes Ian Lowe.

Your obituarist, Hugo Vickers (1 July) rightly recalled how Lord Bath 'attacked the gardens, clearing the undergrowth of rhododendrons and planting trees and shrubs in their place'. It was Russell Page who advised Henry Bath, 'young, gay and brimming with ideas', on the superlative planting along Longcombe Drive. It was 'a fine field for two energetic and enthusiastic gardeners'. 'To plant on such a scale is hard work,' as Page wrote. Patron and gardener were all matched in flair and skill, gifts wich Lord Bath's daughter has inherited and practised at Badminton.