Former director and trustee of the Eden Project, Sir Richard Carew Pole, has passed away at home earlier this month aged 85.

The Eden Project’s CEO Andy Jasper and co-founder Sir Tim Smit called Carew Pole a “national treasure” as they paid tribute to “a cherished friend”.

Carew Pole was a director of the Eden Project for two years from 1999, later becoming a trustee between 2002 and 2007.

“He was a man of legendary dedication to Cornwall and his visionary leadership was instrumental in the creation of Tate St Ives and the Eden Project, sparking a renaissance in the region,” say Jasper and Smit.

He was also president of the Royal Horticultural Society for five years until 2006, earning the Victoria Medal of Honour in 2007. Jasper and Smit say he “elevated the organisation to new heights”.

Carew Pole’s family estate, Antony near Torpoint in east Cornwall, is famed for its gardens which include a historic collection of daylilies.

“Cornwall has lost one of a very special breed. A public servant of honour and distinction in a world where these attributes have never been more needed or deserving of notice.”