Concern as 300-year-old pond dries up in heatwaves

A much-loved 300-year-old pond has dried up due to unprecedented temperatures, concerned residents have said.

The Crammer in Devizes, Wiltshire, famous for its place in the Moonrakers legend, is said to be at its lowest water level since the 1976 drought.

Sally Noseda, who runs the Friends of the Crammer Facebook page, said it was "very sad" to see the water reduced to just a "big puddle".

Town councillor Iain Wallis said there was "no solution other than to put water into it" because the pond has no water source. But he questioned how responsible that would be amid hosepipe bans.

According to legend, a group of 16th Century smugglers were forced to hide their contraband in the Crammer, pretending to rake a cheese that had rolled into the water from the moon, hence the name Moonraker.

Noseda said: "People are so fond of the Crammer. It's the heart of the town - they love the mythology of it."

The only source of water to the pond is rainfall. Noseda said local fire teams had previously filled the pond but were now "flat out worrying about wildfires".

"It's very sad to see it looking like this and not quite knowing what can be done," she said.

"I don't think there will be any fish in there now. It's virtually just a big puddle."

The Met Office has confirmed that July 2026 was the driest July since records began.

The dry conditions have been accompanied by exceptional warmth across much of the UK. It was the second warmest July for the UK as a whole and Wales' warmest ever.

Resident Margaret Outlaw said: "It's always got to be natural rain that goes into it...I think it's getting lower quicker this time - all the sludge, you couldn't see that two days ago."

Another resident, Carol Kelly, said the area needed rain desperately.

"It's sad for the birds...now is the time to clear out all the rubbish," she added.

Councillor Wallis said the historic pond had dried up before "but does always recover".

"The wild birds are wild so they will go to the canal or other local rivers and ponds.

"Obviously there is more concern for fish and water organisms but it's not something the town council has any control of because there is no natural water source to that pond.

"It is something we need to address as a town because the likelihood is that summers are going to get hotter.

"The town needs to decide what it wants to see and what it wants to do and that will ultimately have a cost to it," he added.

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