What lies beneath

Exploring the hidden depths of Ladybower Reservoir, which conceals secrets of a fascinating past

- Nathan Fearn

As Charles Balguy took his last breaths in 1767, he could barely have conceived that 178 years later his place of birth would sit marooned, isolated and largely forgotten in the dark depths; consumed by water.

Born in the grandeur of Derwent Hall in 1708, Balguy was a physician and translator of some repute and would go on to translate Giovanni Boccaccio’s famed Decameron, a collection of 14th-century novellas by the Italian author. It was considered at the time the best English translation and resulted in numerous reprints. While his work would stand the test of time, his birthplace would not.

As with most Derbyshire villages, Derwent had a proud history. It was a physical place where people stood, where people lived their lives, every nook, and cranny as familiar to locals as our villages are to us now. Indeed, in an age where travel was limited and work aspirations were largely confined to the village and local areas, Derwent was all many residents had ever known.

However, by 1945, as the country began the road to recovery following the end of a long, traumatic war, the village was gone - as if it had never existed.

Residents were relocated and left with memories of a different time, Derwent’s architecture – the quaint gritstone cottages, corner shop, the village church, local school, cobbled streets, and much more either demolished or hidden deep beneath the waters of the newly established Ladybower Reservoir.