A LAKE drowned a meadow and a drainage ditch became a river as months of heavy rain caused floods in Rowlands Castle and Finchdean.

Woodberry Lane in Rowlands Castle was closed to drivers at both ends of a ford after the water level reached a foot deep.

A vast expanse of water covered the meadow on one side of the road while a fast and wide river flowed straight through the fields on the other side.

Parking his car to take some pictures with his wife, one motorist said: “It’s incredible. There’s usually a little stream here but I’ve never seen it like this.”

A section of Finchdean Road was flooded but remained passable with care for vehicles.

The culvert at Dean Lane End in Finchdean was almost full but the road above was dry.

A passing cyclist said: “A few years ago they dug out the ditch and built a higher bridge and it’s working.”