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Ladybower Reservoir 'lost church' prompts visitor safety warning

Terry Westerman Ladybower ReservoirTerry Westerman
The church was originally left intact as a memorial but later demolished

Visitors flocking to see exposed ruins at Derbyshire's Ladybower Reservoir have been warned not to walk on the river bed.

The village of Derwent was flooded in the 1940s by the creation of the reservoir with the remains being submerged in water.

The ruins have been revealed by a drop in water levels over recent weeks.

But reservoir owner Severn Trent Water has advised visitors to view them from a distance.

The remains, which are believed to be the village church have been revealed in the past month, alongside the foundations of the purpose-built railway, which brought goods into the area.

Ladybower Reservoir The remains of a railway have been exposed by the droughtLadybower Reservoir
The remains of a railway have been exposed by the drought

Severn Trent said: "If you are visiting to see either of these sights, we would ask you to be aware that the exposed reservoir bed is extremely muddy and not safe to walk in.

"You can get a great view of both the chapel and the railway from the shoreline.

"Please don't walk out to the ruins."

Ladybower Reservoir was at 51.3% of its capacity as of 15 August, according to Severn Trent.

Elsewhere in the county, Howden Reservoir is at 15.6%.

Phoebe Cajote Wood Ladybower Reservoir plugholePhoebe Cajote Wood
The reservoir is famous for its two plugholes
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