The lost village submerged beneath a lake that has now reappeared
The old dry stone walls that once separated farmer's field can currently be seen stretching across the lake's floor, as well as the 17th-century humpback bridge and the remains of streets left behind
Beneath Haweswater Reservoir in the Lake District lies a forgotten village that has been submerged in the lake’s depths for decades.
The hamlet has been hidden for such a long time that many visitors familiar with the area would have no idea that there had ever been a settlement there. Although it sometimes appears in glimpses during heatwaves, it is normally concealed from view.
But now, due to low water levels in the reservoir – which supplies Manchester with drinking water – the hamlet’s 17th-century humpback bridge and outline of its former streets have reappeared, giving a glimpse of the lost ‘Atlantis’ village that lies beneath.
Once home to a small settlement that had sat in the Haweswater valley, Mardale Green was mostly occupied by farmers and was home to a close-knit community for many years before it was razed to the ground by the Manchester Corporation, now United Utilities.
There is thought to have only been twelve houses in Mardale Green, as well as a school, church, and pub called The Dun Bull Inn – which, according to The National Trust, was locally famous for its ‘autumnal shepherds’ meet’ held annually on the third Saturday of November.
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But when permission was granted by Parliament by way of an Act allowing the Manchester Corporation to build the reservoir here in order to supply urban areas in the north-west, a way of life ended in this beautiful part of Cumbria.
Regarded by many as Westmorland’s loveliest valley, there was some considerable upset and upheaval as villagers were evacuated and farms and houses were blown up by the Royal Engineers – who used the exercise as demolition practise.
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Even the village’s coffins were dug up from their resting place in the local graveyard and re-buried at nearby Shap.
The exception to the destruction was the village’s small church, which was dismantled brick by brick and then reassembled to become the water take-off tower that today sits on the western edge of the reservoir.
Typically the depth of the reservoir. near Penrith, sits between 21.56m and 31. b39m since records began and when it’s full, it can hold up to 84 billion litres of water
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But in the past year, it has fallen significantly – recorded as sitting between 15.1m and 31.94.
This week water levels have been especially low – recorded at 16.76m on Monday 20 September and falling. At times like this, some like to go and see what is left of the village and take a walk around the area.
The old dry stone walls that once separated farmer’s field can currently be seen stretching across the lake’s floor, as well as the 17th-century humpback bridge and the remains of streets left behind.
The only building of any note that is left in the area today is the grand art deco Haweswater Hotel, built to replace The Dun Bell Inn (and rehome its landlady) in 1937.
Its current landlord is an enthusiastic local historian, and for those who are interested some interesting artefacts of the lost village can be seen here.
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In the hotel’s hall, a glass case contains a model of the old Mardale church – whilst in the public rooms, you’ll find some fascinating photographs of life in the village before it was drowned.
Roughly two hours drive from Manchester, today the reservoir is managed by the RSPB and home to one of the last golden eagles in the country. It remains a popular walking spot for ramblers and hikers.
Sharing an official update online, the RFL wrote: “Wane, who has led England since February 2020, has taken time to reflect on the programme and believes the timing is right for new leadership to guide the team into the next phase, including the upcoming World Cup.
“During his tenure, Wane oversaw memorable series victories over Tonga in 2023 and a star-studded Samoa a year later, as well as a semi-final in the World Cup. He finishes with 14 wins from 19 matches.”
Crediting him as one of “a very small elite number of coaches to have won the full suite of domestic club honours and achieved World Club Championship success”, hailing his experience and longevity both as a player and as a coach.
As for Wane himself, he said: “It has been the honour of my life to coach England Rugby League over the last six years, but after careful reflection, I believe the time is right to step aside and allow the programme to move forward into its next chapter.
England are on the lookout for a new coach heading into the World Cup after being swept in the Ashes.
Coach Shaun Wane has reportedly resigned from the post after a disappointing 3-0 whitewash against Australia last year.
The 61-year-old ex-pro goes on to add, “The privilege of leading my country in a World Cup, an Ashes Series on home soil and securing victories over Tonga and Samoa will live long in the memory.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the players, coaches and staff I’ve worked alongside during that time; their commitment and professionalism made those moments possible. I wish everyone involved with England Rugby League the best going forward and for the World Cup later this year.”
According to the latest reports online, St Helens boss Paul Rowley is now said to be the favourite to take over in the interim.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is still months away (scheduled to take place in October and November), but the governing body will want to get the new setup and coaching in place as soon as possible to prepare for the tournament.
Greater Manchester town named as one of country’s worst at fixing potholes
Emily Sergeant
A town in Greater Manchester has been named one of the worst in the country at managing roads and fixing potholes.
For the first time ever, drivers across England can now see how well their local highway authority is tackling potholes on their roads thanks to a new traffic light rating system published by the Government this weekend.
The new ratings grade local highway authorities as red, amber, or green.
The ratings – which have presented on a new interactive map – are based on current road condition and how effectively local authorities are spending the Government’s record £7.3 billion funding to fix potholes and investing in long-term measures to maintain roads.
The Government funding is meant to allow local authorities to repair potholes ‘effectively’ and move away from short-term repairs that work out to be more expensive – with these fixes meaning more money in drivers’ pockets, as the average repair bill from hitting potholes is said to be around £320.
We’ve launched a Red, Amber, Green rating system, so you can see how well your local highway authority (LHA) is fixing your local roads.
🟢 Green = best practice, long-term preventative plans 🟠 Amber = on the way, but room to improve 🔴 Red = support in place to raise… pic.twitter.com/gRwkEx5kdm
The condition of local roads, how much local authorities are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways are all key areas taken into account when deciding on an area’s rating.
Those that scored ‘green’, like Manchester, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads, and those that scored ‘amber’ – which the majority of Greater Manchester came under showed that there was room for improvement in individual areas.
However, one Greater Manchester town did not fare well at all, and ended up with an ‘red’ rating… and that town was Bolton.
The colour-coded map showing each local authority’s pothole rating / Credit: OS / Crown Copyright (via gov.uk)
Those local authorities that are rated ‘red’, like Bolton, are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured, according to the Government, such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes, or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.
“For too long, drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate,” commented Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.
“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time, we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”
Georgina Pellant -
24th September 2021 
