Prehistoric village unearthed at Devon reservoir after water levels drop to lowest in decades

Stunning remains of a prehistoric village have emerged after water levels at a reservoir dropped to the lowest in decades. The summer's intense heatwave led the waters at Fernworthy Reservoir in Devon to fall to just 30% of its total capacity. As a result, remains and imprints of Bronze Age stone huts submerged to create a reservoir during World War II are once again visible. Humans have lived around Dartmoor since at least 2,300BC, with the area containing some of the highest concentration of Bronze Age settlements in the country. By 2,500BC, farmers had begun to clear woodlands and build elaborate monuments, including stone circles to commemorate the dead, as well as entire villages of stone roundhouses. But by around 1,000BC, the settlers had over-exploited the land, and it became waterlogged, leaving many of the settlements abandoned. Fernworthy Reservoir was built in 1942, covering around 76 acres of land and holding 380million gallons of water - submerging the remains of the abandoned villages. It has re-appeared only a handful of occasions since, including during the historic drought summer of 1976. Bronze Age hut circles and stone structures were also spotted along its banks in 2022 amid low reservoir levels. Not the first village to re-emerge this year The Devon reservoir is only the latest example of this year's extreme dry weather exposing long-lost structures. In August, stonework and the outlines of buildings were seen at Nether Hambleton beneath the Rutland Water reservoir in the East Midlands. More than 3,000 acres of land were submerged at the site in the 1970s to create what was then Europe's largest man-made lake, with residents rehoused in the surrounding areas. Much of England still in drought - despite more rainfall Despite recent wet weather, 11 areas of England currently remain under Environment Agency drought status, with water levels yet to recover from this summer. It means more than 70% of England's population lives in areas affected by drought. Yorkshire became the latest to be added to the list on Thursday after months of low reservoir and groundwater levels. The other areas are: - London and Hertfordshire - Thames Valley - East Anglia - East Midlands - Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire - West Midlands - Kent & East Sussex - Hampshire & the Isle of Wight - Solent & the South Downs - Devon & Cornwall Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire) The North East and North West of England - including Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire - are in the 'prolonged dry weather' category, which is the step just before a drought is declared.