In the English Midlands, between 1912 & 1916 - two years into World War 1, the Howden & Upper Derwent Reservoirs were constructed to provide clean & adequate water to the expanding towns & cities of the region. The associated dams & new lakes were so big that many expected these reservoirs to need no augmentation for years to come.
However, as the next World War raged, the British government decided to evacuate a number of age old villages - including Derwent & Ashopton - & flood an even vaster area to create the Ladybower Reservoir. Farms, churches & even a stately home (Derwent Hall) were likewise demolished & consigned to the depths.