Photos Show England Turning Brown in Drought
When William Blake conjured an idealized England in the early 1800s, it was of a “green and pleasant land.”
The image, from his poem known as “Jerusalem,” burrowed deep into the nation’s psyche. People sing it as a hymn in churches, at sports stadiums, in concert halls and at political rallies.
It is, however, increasingly at odds with the England of 2026, scorched and wilting under an unforgiving sun.
Officials in July declared half of England to be in a drought after a run of weather that set records and a month in which 19 of its 48 counties saw effectively no rain at all. To conserve water, many utilities have banned the use of sprinklers and hose pipes, which might have kept parched lawns and fields greener.
Here is how that looks in some of the country’s more recognizable places:
The white coastal cliffs lost their green tops.
Sussex, Aug. 4
On Beachy Head, an outcrop on England’s south coast known for the striking contrast between its white chalk cliffs, blue sea and the green grass, an element is missing.
Stonehenge’s surroundings are brown and scrubby.
Wiltshire, July 28
The Neolithic site in southwest England, a draw for millions of tourists, has been left scorched and arid.
A grand prospect of Windsor Castle looked drained.
Windsor, July 31
The tree-lined Long Walk to the castle, a residence favored by Queen Elizabeth II, was without much of its usual vibrancy after weeks of relentless heat.
Scattered sports fields only heightened the contrast.
Berkshire, July 25
In Bray, a village on the River Thames west of London, only the cricket pitch kept any of its luster.
Little separates the sand and yellowing grass above.
Kent, August 6
A seaside scene at Reculver Beach in Kent, nicknamed the “Garden of England.”
England’s northern regions felt the effects, too.
Yorkshire, July 29
Northern England, which is not under drought restrictions, has lost its color. Here is Saltburn-by-the-Sea, a town near the city of Middlesbrough.
The capital’s parks were hit particularly hard.
London, July 27
On Primrose Hill, a prime viewing spot overlooking London from the north, little is left of a usually verdant expanse.