Sir Martyn Beckett, the leading Yorkshire architect, has died at the age of 82.

His family said Sir Martyn, who divided his time between his home at Nawton, near Helmsley, and London, had been in ill-health for the past year.

Sir Martin was born at his family's country seat, Kirkdale Manor, Helmsley, and succeeded to the title on the death of his father, in 1937. He worked on many major projects throughout Britain, including the rebuilding of the east end of King's College, Chapel, Cambridge, which he described as "the most exciting architectural challenge I have ever met".

One of his most prestigious works was to design a marble palace for the ruler of Bahrain in 1978.

For relaxation, he was an enthusiastic pianist. He held many appointments including chairman of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, in Ryedale, and was a member of the North York Moors National Park authority for several years. He also became the first president of the Ryedale and Helmsley Festival.

He designed his dream house at Kirkdale Manor Farm, Nawton, in 1959.

His wife, Lady Priscilla Brett, whom he married in 1941, died last year.

He served in the Welsh Guards and The Green Howards after being educated at Eton and Cambridge, where he took a degree in history.

A funeral will be held at All Saints' parish church, Helmsley, next Monday and a memorial service will follow in London at a later date.

Updated: 11:41 Tuesday, August 07, 2001