Ruins of two lost villages that were abandoned 80 years ago unearthed at drought-hit reservoirs

Published: 14:31 EDT, 26 October 2026 | Updated: 14:42 EDT, 26 October 2026 The ruins of two lost villages that were abandoned more than 80 years ago have been unearthed at drought-hit reservoirs. The villages of Derwent and Ashopton have been uncovered from the depths of Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire after drought conditions hit the county earlier this summer. The villages, which were last visible in 2018, were deliberately flooded in the 1940s to make way for the Upper Derwent Valley reservoir, which can hold approximately 2,869 mega litres of water.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. But following Britain's summer-long drought, water levels in the reservoir have fallen to just 32 per cent - exposing long-lost streets, former homes, buildings and stonework belonging to Derwent and Ashopton.Aerial images have revealed the detailed outlines of dozens of limestone cottages that once housed more than 100 people, offering a rare glimpse of villages which disappeared beneath the water more than half a century ago. The abandoned villages of Derwent and Ashopton have been uncovered after droughts hit the Ladybower Reservoir (Pictured: An aerial image of long-lost streets and foundations belonging to the villages) The villages were deliberately flooded in the 1940s to make way for the Upper Derwent Valley reservoir (Pictured: Remnants of brick walls exposed after water levels plummeted) The outlines of dozens of limestone cottages that once housed more than 100 people have been exposed A brick wall stands as a reminder of the villages which disappeared beneath the water more than half a century agoThe discovery comes as England's drought issue continues to worsen, with ministers secretly warned this week reservoirs could run dry - causing chaos for families in the run-up to Christmas.A summer of record-breaking heatwaves led to widespread droughts, with some parts of England still under hosepipe bans even after two autumn storms have hit the country. Cobra, the Government's emergency committee, is now meeting twice per week for crisis talks regarding provision in the south-west of England and Sussex. A 'reasonable worst-case scenario' has now been drawn up by officials suggesting water stocks could plummet to 0 per cent in weeks. Crisis plans have also been drawn up for a terrifying 'Day Zero' scenario where reservoirs run completely dry in each area.Without action, it could lead to taps running dry in homes and affect the construction of a nuclear power plant.Wimbleball reservoir, which supplies more than 400,000 people in Somerset, is currently at 13 per cent capacity, while Ardingly, which serves 280,000 customers in West Sussex, is at just 17 per cent.Sussex and the south-west were two of the areas worst affected by the lack of rainfall, having faced their driest April to September for more than a century and are still facing critically low water supplies. The discovery comes as England's drought issue continues to worsen, with ministers secretly warned this week reservoirs could run dry Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire supplies water to Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham and LeicesterDoug Clarke, Severn Trent's water resources lead, said: '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.'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.'