Drought in England Reveals Remains of Village Submerged in 1970s

Record-breaking drought in England has brought a lost village back to the surface. The remains of Nether Hambleton, submerged over 50 years ago to create the Rutland Water reservoir, are now visible due to exceptionally low water levels.

Located in the East Midlands, Nether Hambleton was demolished and flooded in the 1970s as part of the project to build Rutland Water, which became Europe's largest artificial lake at the time, inundating more than 3,000 acres. The recent extreme heat and lack of rainfall have caused water levels to drop dramatically, revealing the stone structures and foundations of the former village.

The creation of the reservoir, completed in 1976, involved building a dam and flooding the Gwash valley. Residents of Nether Hambleton were relocated to nearby areas. At its deepest point, the reservoir reaches 34 meters, but current dry conditions have exposed the village's remnants.

England has experienced severe drought, with reservoir levels falling significantly in July, marking the largest monthly decrease in at least 30 years. Approximately three-quarters of the country is now under official drought conditions. The East Midlands region has seen below-average rainfall for five consecutive months, with spring and summer being the driest periods since 1995, and July being the driest month on record.