The ruins of the lost village of Derwent in Derbyshire have been exposed after water levels at Ladybower Reservoir dropped to just 32 per cent capacity following a prolonged dry spell. The village was deliberately flooded in the 1940s during the construction of the reservoir, which was built between 1935 and 1943 to supply water to cities in South Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Village Ruins Emerge from Reservoir
Churches, cottages and a pump house were lost when the Derwent Valley was flooded, a plan that local residents strongly opposed at the time. The reservoir was intended to serve the nearby cities of Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester.
New overhead images show what remains of the village, with some structures still retaining many of their key features. Visitors have been asked to keep to the nearby paths because the reservoir bed is "extremely muddy and not safe to walk on."
Drought Conditions Across England
The Environment Agency reports that a majority of regions in England are in drought conditions following record-breaking heatwaves over the summer. Some 82 per cent of the country is in a drought, with 18 reservoir groups under half capacity. Significant rainfall over the autumn and winter would be required to replace the amount lost.
A drought was declared in the East Midlands in August after six months of below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures.
Water Company Response
Doug Clarke, Severn Trent's water resources lead, told the BBC: "We've seen six months of below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures so reservoir levels will take time to recover, but overall, across our region we've more stored than this time last year."
He added: "Reservoirs make up around a third of our water supplies, with the rest coming from rivers and groundwater, and our teams are continuing to work around the clock to treat more water and fix leaks at record levels. But we're also asking customers to continue using water wisely all year round, to help ensure there is always enough to go around."
Ladybower Reservoir can retain 2,869 mega litres of water and underwent major refurbishment in the 1990s to raise and increase the strength of the dam's wall to reduce the risk of "over-topping" in a major flood.
