Our History
The Reservoir was officially opened in 1945 by King George VI after 10 years of construction, the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were 'drowned' in the building.
The Derwent valley also played an important role in the Second World War. It saw the development of the 'Bouncing Bomb' which was deployed by 617 squadron using Lancaster Bombers, more commonly we know this squadron as the ‘Dam Busters’
Did you know
“Surface Area - 504 Acres.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
“Greatest depth (when built) - 135 Feet.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
“Height above sea level (top water surface) - 668 Feet.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
“Perimeter - 13 miles.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
“Storage capacity - 6,300 million gallons.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
“Unveiled by H.M. George VI on 25th September 1945.”
— The Story of the Lost Villages of Derwent & Ashopton by Harry Gill
