Hot weather reveals hidden history across the South

As the south of England basks in an unusually warm and dry summer, parch marks on lawns across the region have unveiled the hidden histories of their locations. Portchester Castle in Hampshire, Blenheim Palace, Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and Mottisfont near Romsey are among the sites where the outlines of historic installations have been revealed by the hot weather.

At Blenheim Palace, the footprint of an 18th Century garden, which once stretched across the entire palace, has been exposed. Andy Mills, the Unesco World Heritage Site's head gardener, expressed his delight at seeing the outlines of the historic parterre, 260 years after it was demolished. The original parterre, constructed in 1705, was a costly and extravagant display of wealth and importance. However, it was dismantled in 1760, leaving its outline to be revealed only in periods of particularly hot weather.

Elsewhere, at Greys Court in Oxfordshire, the parch marks have revealed the outlines of 16th Century buildings that once stood on the National Trust property's Oval Lawn. Archaeological inquiries at the site have discovered that the outlines belonged to a long, narrow building that once connected two sides of a medieval courtyard.

At Mottisfont near Romsey, the warm conditions have led to the discovery of the remains of 13th and 16th Century wall foundations, including the buried remains of monastery buildings and Tudor alterations.

At Portchester Castle, the Tudor storehouse, believed to date from between 1489 and 1540, has been revealed by the hot weather. English Heritage, which runs the castle, noted that the storehouse was a significant historical find. Archaeologist James Brown from Mottisfont shared that these glimpses into the oldest history of buildings known at Mottisfont were intriguing and rare moments when their outlines appeared in the lawns.