‘We need reservoirs built’: drought leaves UK farms begging for government aid

Estate director Andrew Blenkiron at one of the Euston estate’s reservoirs, which is at less than 10% of its capacity. Photograph: Si Barber/The Guardian

It last rained on the Euston Estate, near Thetford in Suffolk, a fortnight ago, although the 6mm that fell evaporated almost immediately on contact with the parched earth. Before that, the farm hadn’t seen any rain since June, said Andrew Blenkiron, director of the estate belonging to Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke of Grafton.

“It has been so dry since April. Some days we only had rain at one end of the farm,” Blenkiron said. The 15mm that fell in July was a third of the usual total.