New images of underwater Lake Vyrnwy village that has resurfaced due to heatwave conditions
Beneath the surface of Lake Vyrnwy is an underwater village that refuses to be forgotten.
It's usually hidden by the reservoir, but thanks to weeks of dry weather and heatwave conditions, the houses that used to make up the old village of Llanwddyn have resurfaced.
The lake would usually be nearly 90 per cent full at this time of year, but it's now rapidly approaching what you might call half empty.
Low water levels are obviously concerning from a human perspective and the rain due next week might well be the source of a much-needed refill, but the unusual conditions are giving visitors to the lake an interesting insight into its amazing history.
Exclusive Shropshire Star photographs, taken on Saturday (August 12), clearly show what's left of some of the old stone walls, what was once a bridge, and the foundations of houses that people were forced to leave to make way for dam construction in the late 1800s.
You can view the images in the below gallery.
The photographs are a poignant reminder that while the dam was a special engineering undertaking, it's sad to think the locals simply had to move out of their houses.
Liverpool's city engineer first explored the possibility of damming River Vyrnwy to form a reservoir, creating a reliable water source for the rapidly-expanding population of the city.
For a number of reasons - including the fact that surveys uncovered a natural bed of rock when the valley began to narrow - the site was identified as the perfect location for a dam.
As we've reported before, The Liverpool Corporation then took on the enormous task of making the project happen.
The first stone was laid in 1881 by the Earl of Powis. This commemorated the start of the work.
The village church and many homes were demolished, with some new houses being built at around the new planned water level.
When the project was in fully swing, at least 1,000 men were working on creating the reservoir.
In 1888, it was finally complete. The valley was flooded and in 1889 water finally flowed over the dam.
It's important to note that a pipe was also laid, travelling across mid Wales, parts of Shropshire and onto its final destination - Liverpool. The city folk got their first taste of crisp Lake Vyrnwy water in 1892.
The last time the lake revealed its past in quite so much detail was during the drought of 1976. By the end of the month, it could be hidden again.
