A BENCH has been dedicated to the late Bryan Ashby and Chris Pierce in Andrews Wood, near Loddiswell.

The bench, which was made from naturally fallen oak or oak felled for safety, was sanded and built by Devon Wildlife Trust volunteers at Woodah Farm, Teign Valley, and the Andrews Wood team brought it down, dug it in and fitted the plaques.

It was paid for by the collection at Bryan’s funeral and it was unveiled on Thursday, September 8, with members of Bryan’s family, including his wife Jane, and friends of both Bryan and Chris.

Bryan was born in Essex and moved to Salcombe when his mother dies in 1958. He gave up his photography business and bought a boat in Jersey, which was brought back to Salcombe. There he learnt to sail with the Island Cruising Club, working for two summers as a mate on ‘Hoshi’ and ‘Provident’, ICC’s two cruising boats.

It was there he met Jane, the cook on ‘Provident’, they were married in 1961. Bryan sold his boat and brought a shop in Foss Street, Dartmouth, which he and Jane ran as a photographic shop. The couple lived above the shop and welcomed three sons, Kit, David and Robin.

In 1969 they brought Start House, where they lived for nearly forty years until 2007. By then, they were also running a second shop in Kingsbridge with the help of Bryan’s sister and brother-in-law.

Bryan photographed Dartmouth Cub Scouts, starting a long association with the organisation, during which time they started the Stokenham Clubs and their three boys were keen members.

When Bryan retired at sixty, they began a successful bed and breakfast where they worked together for twenty years. it was during this time that they became friends with Gordon Waterhouse and his wife Barbara and fellow photographer Chris Pierce, who took over the Kingsbridge Camera shop when Bryan retired.

Gordon and Bryan started doing talks on Natural History with Bryan providing the photographs.

The bench is now available for people to sit and look at the stunning views in Andrew’s Wood.