Gordon Beningfield

Gordon George Beningfield (31 October 1936, Bermondsey – 4 May 1998, London)[2] was an English wildlife artist, broadcaster and naturalist known for his watercolour artworks, most notably of butterflies.

[1] Describing his school life, Beningfield claimed he was good at "very little",[1] no doubt a result of his struggles with dyslexia,[3] despite this, however, his Headmaster encouraged him to paint frequently and also introduced him to the works of another lifelong influence, J. M. W. Turner[1] Upon leaving school, Beningfield worked for St Albans based studio called Faith-Craft.

[4] Faith-Craft was operated by the Anglican Church and produced ecclesiastical art in a variety of mediums including paintings, sculpture and stained glass windows.

His final book Beningfield's Vanishing Songbirds, was published posthumously and was completed by his wife Betty and friend Robin Page.

[8] Beningfield once again got involved in the charity sector four years later, when he, along with Robin Page and Sir Laurens van der Post, founded the Countryside Restoration Trust, a farming charity which promotes and campaigns for environmentally sustainable methods in agriculture and works to restore wildlife habitats on its farms.

[10] He was buried at St John the Baptist church in Great Gaddesden,[5] and is survived by his wife Betty and two daughters, Sally and Sarah.

The appeal aimed to turn Beningfield's dream of a working, wildlife-friendly farm in Hardy's Dorset, into a reality by raising £1 million.