ALLAN Gill, who has died aged 83, was a true gentleman of the Dales, a well-loved and respected family man who took great delight in the natural world.

Born in Arncliffe in 1937, Allan was the son of Jim and Annis Gill, and younger brother of Eileen. Jim worked as gamekeeper, as his father Henry had before him, tending to Arncliffe Moor over a period which saw massive social change in the dale as 300 years of life under the landowning Hammond family came to an end.

Annis was the daughter of local farmer Alfred Pullan. When the family moved to Arncliffe Post Office in 1950, Annis became postmistress, and remained in the role for almost 50 years, finally retiring at the age of 87. Meanwhile Eileen took over Litton Hall in the 1970s, and established it as a popular bed and breakfast.

After leaving Arncliffe School aged 14, Allan worked on his uncle’s farm in Litton, before signing up for National Service in 1956. He served for two years in the Royal Artillery and travelled extensively, with posts in Malta, Cyprus and Jordan.

On his return to Arncliffe, he worked at Threshfield Quarry, then owned by Settle Limes. Except for a short break in the 1970s, he would remain at the quarry until it closed in 2000.

In 1971, Allan married Jennifer Jones, granddaughter of another Dales gamekeeper, Billy Lund. After briefly living in Lancashire, Allan and Jennifer moved to Skipton, then Embsay, where they raised their three children Alex, William and Katrina.

Throughout his life, Allan’s ties to Littondale remained strong - he captained Littondale cricket team and later became chairman of the club, continuing to umpire games after retiring from playing. He also helped at the Arncliffe farm of his cousin John Gill each year during hay time.

In 2002 Allan and Jennifer moved to Giggleswick, close to where Jennifer worked as a teacher at Settle College.

Allan enjoyed his retirement, joining Settle Angling Club and spending time bird watching and hill walking. He also took up cycling and would often embark upon 20-mile bike rides through the Dales when he was well into his 70s. Allan took great pleasure in spending time with his children and grandchildren and was at his happiest during family gatherings.

Although diagnosed with dementia in early 2018, Allan was still able to do the things he loved until late 2019. He leaves behind his wife Jennifer, three children and six grandchildren.