A keen golfer and countryman, Jimmy Deterding, who has died aged 80 after a long illness at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, devoted his life to improving the family's north Norfolk estate.

As the third generation to run the Kelling Hall estate, he developed a wild-bird shoot by improving the woodland, lakes and created new drives as well as encouraging the re-introduction of grey partridges.

In his 50 years of stewardship, he always strove to create quality rather than quantity with genuine high birds for the sporting guns.

Ronald James Deterding, always known as Jimmy, was educated at Taverham Hall School until 1944. Then he went to Rugby and was in the its shooting VIII as a member of the King's Hundred in 1949.

He read languages at Gonville & Caius and was awarded a degree in French and Spanish. An excellent golfer, he won a blue at Cambridge. After working as a Lloyds broker, he joined the Drayton Group of Investment Trusts until 1958. Then, on his father's death, he returned to Kelling Hall, where he had been born and had been built by his grandfather, Sir Henri Deterding, one of the founders of Shell.

In 1966, he married Shirley Carnt, the well-known wildlife and sporting artist, and continued the long-term strategy to improve the 1,600-acre estate, which was sold about three years ago for about �25m.

He was captain of Sheringham Golf Club in 1966 and was elected president of the Norfolk County Golf Union in 1978. He was captain of the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club in 1990. He was also involved in many county golf championships including the Grafton Morris and Halford Hewitt competitions.

A member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club since 1985, he travelled extensively including to India, Australia, Ireland and Hong Kong to attend their centenary celebrations.

His other love was fishing, especially in Scotland, but he also loved the trout streams of England. Always keen to encourage youngsters and teach them about the countryside, he helped Arthur Oglesby, Jack Hemingway and Hugh Falkus run their fishing courses in Scotland.

He was a member of Kelling's parish council from 1960 until 2001 and was chairman of the parochial church council until it was disbanded.

He is survived by his widow, Shirley, and stepchildren Sarah and Nicolas and grandchildren.

A memorial service has been held at Thornham parish church.