TRIBUTES have been paid to Lady Barnard, who has died aged 87.

Mother of the current 12th Baron Barnard, Lady Davina Barnard, was born Davina Cecil in London on June 29, 1931.

She was the eldest daughter of Lord Burghley, who later became the 6th Marquess of Exeter, and Lady Mary Burghley, the fourth daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch.

Her father was at the time a national figure through his athletic achievements, competing in no less than four Olympic Games and he won a gold medal in the 400m Hurdles at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, with a time that remained a British record until 1954.

During the Second World War Lady Barnard was evacuated to Canada where she stayed with her uncle in British Columbia.

She returned to England in 1943 but soon afterwards moved to Bermuda when her father was appointed Governor there.

Lady Barnard attended Bermuda High School before returning to England in 1946.

In 1952, at the age of 21, she married Harry John Neville Vane, the eldest son of 10th Baron Barnard, continuing a long-standing connection between the Cecil and Vane families. The marriage took place at St Margaret’s Church in Westminster.

The couple moved to County Durham soon after they married and refurbished and moved into Selaby Hall near Gainford.

They had five children - Carolyn, Elisabeth, Harry, Sophia and Louise and this extended to 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In 1964, Lady Barnard officially received her title, when her husband succeeded to the title of Lord Barnard on his father’s death.

Lady Barnard soon became involved in the life of the county supporting her husband in his roles of county councillor, Lord Lieutenant for 18 years and the running of Raby Estates.

She was appointed County Vice President for St John Ambulance Association in 1962 before being made County President in the 1970s and retiring from the role in 2000.

In 1984 she was invested as a Dame of Grace, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem while other charities in which she was involved included the NSPCC, St Teresa’s Hospice and PHAB club.

Lady Barnard enjoyed gardening, both at her home and through her involvement with Raby Castle Gardens. She also enjoyed the countryside, nature and her dogs, with many visits to Upper Teesdale.

A regular churchgoer, she supported Staindrop Church and helped organise several flower festivals.

The couple divorced in 1992 and soon afterwards Lady Barnard moved to Barningham which she grew to love and where she fully entered into village life until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's - a condition she lived with for several years and was cared for at home before her peaceful death at home on September 6.

Her son Harry, 12th Lord Barnard, said his mother always coped with her illness in a "positive and accepting way".

“She was a very gentle person with a quiet determination who always saw the best in people. She loved living in Teesdale," he said.

Her funeral service will be held this Friday at St Michael an All Angels Church in Barningham, at 2pm. Family flowers only. Donations are being collected for the Alzheimer’s Society and the church.