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People love the legend that makes the pond famous. But refilling the pond is not easy when extreme weather events are just around the corner.
Representative stock image to show a dry pond. The Crammer, a 16th-century pond in Davizes, Wiltshire, famous for its place in the Moonrakers legend, has dried up after the recent spate of heatwaves. The famous pond is now reduced to a puddle after water levels dropped to their lowest since the 1976 drought.
What is the Moonrakers legend?
The story goes that over 300 years ago, smugglers would hide their contraband in The Crammer to keep it away from the eyes of the customs officers. In the darkness of the night, the smugglers would go and rake in their goods, like kegs of French brandy.
At times, though, the customs officers would see men by the ponds in the night and question them about their presence at the location. The legend goes that smugglers claimed to be raking in a round wheel of cheese seen on the pond surface. This is nothing but a reflection of the moon.
THe customs officers would ride off laughing at the alleged stupidity of the village folk, while the smugglers managed to keep their contraband safe. This later became famous as the Moonraker legend, and The Crammer a popular tourist spot.
Why has it dried?
The Crammer is a rain-fed pond, so it can only fill up when it rains. This summer, temperatures have soared while rains have dropped.
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Ameya Paleja’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
English