The prolonged drought in Britain has revealed the remains of two villages that were demolished and submerged more than 80 years ago to create a reservoir. Stonework, walls and the foundations of former homes in Derwent and Ashopton have emerged from the depths of Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire.
The villages were deliberately flooded in the 1940s to make way for the reservoir, which can hold 2,869 megalitres of water. After the summer-long drought, water levels have fallen sharply and now stand at just 32 per cent capacity.
Eerie aerial images show lost streets
Aerial images reveal the detailed layouts of long-lost streets and buildings etched into the mud after water levels dropped dramatically. A former pump house still stands tall in the dirt, while chunks of finely cut stone walls remain remarkably upright despite decades underwater.
Historic buildings, churches and limestone cottages were submerged when the Derwent Valley was flooded between 1935 and 1943 to create the reservoir, which supplies water to Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester. The outlines of dozens of limestone cottages that once housed more than 100 people are now visible for the first time since 2018.
Ghost village of Ashopton revealed
The ghost village of Ashopton once boasted its own pubs, an iconic old toll house and the extravagant Derwent Hall before it was wiped off the map. Rising temperatures throughout the summer, coupled with six months of below-average rainfall, have caused stored water levels to plummet, exposing parts of the valley unseen for years.
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."
Water supply and future outlook
Clarke 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 underwent major refurbishment work in the 1990s to raise and strengthen the dam wall and reduce the risk of "overtopping" during a major flood. The eerie remains offer a rare glimpse of the village that disappeared beneath the water more than half a century ago, as England's drought continues to worsen.
