Vernatt's Drain, Spalding

Another scorching day, the last of the Indian Summer. I headed out to visit a population of a rare plant, newly found on the side of a drain in deepest Lincolnshire. As I drove north there was a dense fog, making it look distinctly autumnal, but this soon burnt off and I was sweltering as I counted the seeding plants.

On the way back I took the opportunity to visit former sites of two other rare plants, one of which used to be found on the edge of Vernatt's Drain, just west of Spalding. This drain is named after one of the adventurers who drained the fens, Philibert Vernatti, who was made a baronet in 1643. Spalding has grown enormously in recent years and on the skyline you can see some of the new development creeping gradually west.