Lost Derbyshire Village Reappears as Reservoir Levels Plummet

After months of below-average rainfall, the stone foundations of the former village of Derwent have resurfaced in the bed of Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire. The site, which was deliberately flooded in the 1940s to create the reservoir, now draws visitors despite safety warnings from water-company officials about the “extremely muddy and unsafe” conditions.

The Independent

Ladybower Reservoir was built between 1935 and 1943, requiring the flooding of the Derwent Valley and the submergence of the villages of Derwent and Ashopton. At the time, the project was justified as a means to supply fresh drinking water to expanding industrial cities such as Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, despite strong opposition from local residents.

The Independent

Regional storage capacity has fallen dramatically, with Ladybower Reservoir operating at just under 32 percent of its normal level following a sustained summer drought across the East Midlands. Environment Agency data indicate that roughly 82 percent of England remains in drought conditions, and 18 major reservoir groups are running at less than half capacity. Reservoirs provide about one-third of England’s water supply; the remainder comes from rivers and groundwater.

The Independent

Severn Trent Water has urged the public to stay on designated paths and avoid the exposed reservoir bed. The company’s water resources lead, Doug Clarke, emphasized that recovery will be gradual: “We’ve seen six months of below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures, so reservoir levels will take time to recover.”

The Independent

• “We've seen six months of below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures, so reservoir levels will take time to recover,” — Doug Clarke, water resources lead at Severn Trent

The Independent