Farewell to former Executive Director of the Countryside Alliance

The Countryside Alliance was saddened to learn that Captain Peter Voûte, CBE, Director of the British Field Sports Society (BFSS) and Executive Director of the Countryside Alliance who played a pivotal role in the formation of the Alliance and organised the Hyde Park Rally of 1997 and the Countryside March in 1998 passed away recently at the age of 85.

Lord (Nick) Herbert, who worked with Peter at the BFSS, said:

“Peter was a lynchpin of the BFSS and played a critical role in the formation of the Countryside Alliance. He oversaw an awakening of rural activism through the organisation of the rally and first countryside march which continues to this day. All of us who love the countryside owe him a great debt”.

Peter Voute’s roles, firstly at the British Field Sports Society and then subsequently at the Countryside Alliance, followed a distinguished military career. Working with the explorer, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Peter helped to coordinate the demonstrations of 1997 and 1998 which saw huge gatherings descend on London and where the countryside had its voice heard. With his operations room in the offices of the Countryside Alliance, Peter applied his military expertise by working from a large wall map on which he plotted the movements of coaches and people, as well as liaisons with the police.

Preparations for these events took many months of work and the marches were praised not only for the impact they made but for their non-violence. One of the national newspapers wrote: “The countryside came to town, closed the gate and marched off.”

Peter Voûte was a proud Guernsey-man, born there in 1938 to a Dutch-Huguenot father and a mother with island ancestry going back to the 16th century. He was educated at Elizabeth College and joined Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in September 1957. His first ship was the minesweeper HMS Crofton based in Malta, but he swiftly trained to become a helicopter pilot and was stationed at Culdrose, Cornwall with 845 Squadron where he prepared to sail with HMS Albion to the Far East.

Peter’s catch phrases were “Make a decision!” and “Take charge!” and these were very much at the fore during his time at the Alliance. He married Marta Voûte in 1962 and is survived by two daughters, two grandchildren and a great grandson.