The huge area of hills and valleys taken over by Birmingham City Council for their water supply was very thinly populated, but many lives were changed by the project.
A church, a chapel, a schoolhouse, and 18 cottages and farmhouses were lost because of the plans to flood the Elan and Claerwen valleys.
The little community of Nantgwyllt was at the bottom of the flooded valley near the meeting of the Rivers Elan and Claerwen.

The old schoolhouse was at No 2 on the map, and No 3 marks the site of the big mansion of Nantgwyllt. This was on the bank of the River Claerwen, just below the point where it flowed into the Elan. You will find more about this famous house on another page.

Almost all of the area shown on this section of the map, apart from the high ground at the top and bottom corners, is now deep below the waters of the Caban-coch reservoir. There is more about the lost valleys on the next page...

Lost beneath the Victorian lakes...