This farm abandoned after construction of Langsett Reservoir was used for military practice in Second World War

Only ruins, pictured here, are left today of what was known as North America Farm.
The ruins of North America Farm above Langsett Reservoir.
Picture: Bruce Rollinson. Technical details: Nikon D4, 24mm lens, 1/400 sec, f/9, ISO 320.The ruins of North America Farm above Langsett Reservoir.
Picture: Bruce Rollinson. Technical details: Nikon D4, 24mm lens, 1/400 sec, f/9, ISO 320.
The ruins of North America Farm above Langsett Reservoir. Picture: Bruce Rollinson. Technical details: Nikon D4, 24mm lens, 1/400 sec, f/9, ISO 320.

But the history of the site, above Langsett Reservoir on the edge of the Peak District National Park, reveals much about how the Langsett area has been shaped to become what it is today.

The reservoir, of course, is perhaps the most dominant feature of the parish. Today managed by Yorkshire Water, it has a capacity of more than 1,400 million gallons, making it the biggest serving the Sheffield district. It was constructed in the late 19th century, sparked by a growth in the demand for water from the towns of South Yorkshire.

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The labourers who carried out the work were housed in a temporary village of corrugated iron huts, though no sign of it remains today. A railway line was also established so that materials could be transported easily to and from the site.

A potted history of the area, seen on the Langsett Parish Council website, describes how never before or since has the population of the area been so large. “A rough estimate from the numbers of houses was that there were 176 men plus 32 families,” it states.

“In total there was probably an influx of about 500 people into the small village that had in 1891 contained 76 households and a population of 263.”

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Once the reservoir was established in the community, there were concerns that nearby farms were a contamination threat to the purity of the water.

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At the time, there was no chemical treatment process and the water companies had to ensure that anything draining into the reservoir was as pure as possible.

Local farm depopulation came about as a result, and many farms, including North America Farm, were abandoned.

What is left at the site today is merely ruins. But indentations on the remaining stones offer an insight to another aspect of its past.

For the divots were made by shells, and date back to when the farm was used by tanks for target practice during the Second World War.

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