Great Massingham Post Office pond runs dry after extreme hot weather

Pictures have revealed the impact of the recent drought on one West Norfolk village, where one of its ponds has been completely dried out.

Before the heavy rain of the last few days, Great Massingham's Post Office pit had been clear of water for a couple of weeks during the extreme hot weather.

Photos taken of the pond by Lynn News photographer Paul Marsh before the drought and after show just how much difference the heatwave has had on the village feature.

Mark Eldridge, who owns Massingham Stores in the village, said, while the Post Office pit had retained some water after the deluge on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, it had not been looking as nice as it does in usual times.

"In comparison to the health concerns in the extreme heat, it's not the biggest of worries, but it doesn't look its beautiful best - much like the village greens - it looks sorry for itself," he said.

The businessman, who has lived in Great Massingham for eight years, said the pond had been known to dry out under extreme heat.

Mr Eldridge, who also runs a Post Office and tearooms from Massingham Stores, said the pond was being checked regularly, and some fish had been moved to the nearby Scotsman's pit which had retained more water.

"It's on a slow road to recovery now, there is a surface level of water on the pit, but we just need a bit more rain.

"All the pits are connected with underground drainage - they all feed into one another."