Hot weather reveals hidden history across the South

As the south of England continues to enjoy an unusually warm and dry summer, parch marks on lawns across the region have revealed the hidden histories of their location.

Among the sites which have seen the outlines of historic installations exposed by the hot weather are Portchester Castle and Blenheim Palace.

At Blenheim, the footprint of an 18th century garden – which had once stretched across the width of the entire palace – has revealed itself on a lawn.

Andy Mills, the Unesco World Heritage Site’s head gardener, told the BBC it was “absolutely magical” to see the outlines of the historic parterre – 260 years after it was demolished.

Mills explained that the original parterre – which is a French word meaning ‘on the ground’ – had been constructed in 1705, and would have “cost an absolute fortune to install”.

“It was a very large extravagant thing to do, but it was a way of showing your wealth and importance and that sort of thing,” he said.