Fernworthy Reservoir, Dartmoor - Drowned Farms, Bronze Age Settlements & a Drought-Hit Moor

High on north-east Dartmoor near Chagford, Fernworthy Reservoir is one of Devon's most archaeologically rich stretches of water — and one of the most revealing when levels drop. THE DROWNED VALLEY The dam was built between 1936 and 1942, holding back roughly 380 million gallons across 76 acres. The water still feeds Torquay, Totnes and Brixham, gravity-fed onward to Trenchford near Hennock for treatment. Flooding the South Teign valley cost the moor a working landscape. Farmsteads were abandoned and submerged — in dry spells the remains of Fernworthy Farm and an old clapper bridge surface again. South West Lakes Trust has previously reported crowds arriving to see the roughly 400-year-old granite clapper bridge and the ruins of Fernworthy Bridge emerge, with prehistoric hut circles near the car park appearing most years as the water pulls back. SETTLEMENTS OLDER THAN THE RESERVOIR The valley has been lived in for thousands of years. Heritage records describe partially submerged Bronze Age hut circles and field walls with later Tudor reoccupation, plus around a thousand Neolithic and Bronze Age flints found near Fernworthy Farm. In the surrounding forest you'll also find stone rows, a stone circle, and the medieval farmsteads at Higher Lowton and Assycombe. THE 2026 DROUGHT Devon was placed in official drought status on 29 July 2026, with parts of the county having gone 50 days without measurable rainfall — the Environment Agency calling it a "flash drought" driven by prolonged heat on top of very low rainfall. July delivered around 7% of expected rainfall across England, and just 1% in the south. Fernworthy itself was reported at 67% full in late July, with the nearby Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford group down at 51%. Worth noting for visitors: South West Water's hosepipe ban covers named areas of Mid and East Devon only — Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and the rest of the county aren't included, though everyone's being asked to go easy on water. 📍 Fernworthy Reservoir, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 8EA 🔗 Site info & current reservoir levels: https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/fernw... 🅿️ Pay & display — £2 (1hr) / £3 (3hr) / £6 all day 🐕 Dogs welcome on leads | ♿ Potters Walk is buggy/wheelchair accessible #Dartmoor #Devon #Fernworthy #Drought #Archaeology #UKWalks #Chagford