UK's hottest day a year on: When Belton House's pool dried up for first time in 35 years

  • Video report by Emma Hayward

The mirror pond at Belton House in Lincolnshire normally allows visitors to see the country home's stately surroundings reflected back at them.

But a year ago, for the first time in 35 years, the pool ran dry.

Head gardener Abi Pickersgill said: "Normally it should be nice and full, normally it's quite glass-like, quite reflective so that people can look at the sky with the amount of water that's in it. Last year it dried up totally for the first time in about 35 years.

"It's spring-fed from other ponds further up the gardens, but as the water levels dropped in the other ponds, this got no water and for about three months it was completely dry."

The UK was in the midst of a series of unprecedented heatwaves, culminating with the UK's hottest ever day, 19 July 2022. The record 40.3C temperature was set less than 30 miles away from Belton House at RAF Coningsby.

At the 17th century grade I listed property, near Grantham, the effects of the heat were obvious.

Abi said it caused the grass to wither and summer plants to shrivel. Insects' life cycles were disrupted.

She added: "We lost half the amount of water in the ponds, causing significant effects for the pond life, for the wildlife around us.

Head gardener Abi Pickersgill said the gardens had suffered in the heat. Credit: ITV News

"It has meant we are struggling to manage the mirror pond because plants have migrated so quickly to that drier soil and silt on thee bottom of the pond. We are struggling to keep in control of the feature."

The gardeners are now trying to do what they can to combat the effects of climate change. They use peat-free plants, grow their own plans where possible, rather than importing them, and conserve water.

In the house a biomass boiler now provides heating.

Abi said: "Not only have we got to adapt to the changing temperatures, we have to use more water, we have to spend more time watering. We have to put in plans to mitigate the problems we're going to have down the line."

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