Visited Rutland Water, twice last week. I remember it being constructed in the seventies as I lived locally to Empingham. In those days it was known as Empingham Reservoir. Below are a few pictures of Normanton Church.
A Brief History
The medieval St Matthews Church was built for the Earl of Ancaster on the foundations of a building dating back to the 14th century. It was later rebuilt in a classical style in the 18th century when the Heathcote Baronets created their estate in Rutland and used the parish church as their private chapel. In 1920 the aristocrat family relocated and the church was abandoned until Rutland Water was created in the 1970s.
Due to the growing population in the area, the need for a water reservoir became obvious. The Gwash Valley in Rutland was chosen as the most suitable location for a new reservoir in the Midlands. The locals protested against the church being demolished and it was decided that it would only be partially submerged underwater.
The lower level of the deconsecrated church was filled with rubble and concrete and a new floor was created. A causeway and an embankment were created to make the building accessible from the shore of Rutland Water. The outcome was one of the most iconic churches in the UK, seemingly floating above the waterline.
