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TYNEHAM VILLAGE - 11/02/13

Located in Dorset, Tyneham is a ghost village, where nobody has lived since it was commandeered by the military in 1943. It has limited opening times as it is part of the Lulworth Military Range, to see details of opening times for 2013 click here, (link to external site).

During the second world war, on the 17th November 1943, the 225 residents of Tyneham Village received notice to leave their homes, as they were being commandeered by the military on the 19th December. As the residents left a note was left on the church which read, "Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly." To this day no residents have returned, as a compulsory purchase order was issued for the land in 1948, and the land is still used today by the Military for training.
Many of the buildings are derelict shells, but parts remain including St Mary's Church, and an old school room now turned into a museum. It provides an interesting glimpse, frozen in time, of lives and a community now gone, with many of the buildings having information boards in place showing the generations who lived in the homes, and worked the farms.
As well as the village the spectacular coastal scenery at Worbarrow Bay can be found a short walk away, it is also subject to limited access times.