'Ghost' village abandoned in 1943 as residents forced to flee

Daily Record

2 days ago

Tyneham village in Dorset was abandoned in 1943 when the British military requisitioned the village for training purposes during World War Two.
An abandoned Dorset village stands as a unique relic in Britain, a forgotten piece of history that remains etched in memory.
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Tragic events forced residents to flee their cherished homes many decades past. Tucked away along Dorset's breathtaking Jurassic Coast, a visit to Tyneham village feels like travelling through time.
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Visitors can peer into the existence of locals who were compelled to desert the settlement during the Second World War. The year 1943 marked the moment when this thriving hamlet of Tyneham would witness their world transformed permanently, reports the Mirror.
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During the height of World War Two, the British military commandeered the village for training exercises. This resulted in heartbroken residents receiving just one month's warning to vacate properties where countless families had resided across generations.
The authorities of that era seized Tyneham village and its surrounding territory to serve as a training facility for Allied troops, given its proximity to the Lulworth firing range. Locals were convinced they were sacrificing their dwellings for the nation's benefit and expected to return following the war's conclusion.
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A message was attached to the church entrance, which stated: "Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war to keep men free. We will return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly."
Tragically though, the residents were never permitted to return to their dwellings in Tyneham as even after World War Two concluded, the settlement and its surrounding countryside remained a training facility for military operations. Today the settlement, still preserved in time after nearly 80 years, serves as a 'thought-provoking and interesting' visitor destination. It welcomes guests at specific periods throughout the year and tourists praise its 'fascinating insights into the lives of residents'.
During periods when the settlement remains closed to visitors, the barriers preventing entry are secured at dusk each night.
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One guest's assessment on TripAdvisor states: "This deserted village has such an interesting history. The boards within the church detailing the villagers fight to be allowed to return to the village and the current position are very moving."
A separate TripAdvisor assessment described 'a wonderful place - very atmospheric and sad but in a way that keeps drawing you back to visit'. Tyneham's final inhabitant, Peter Wellman passed away aged 100 in April this year - the centenarian made a farewell journey to the settlement in 2024, to witness the location where he was born and raised.
During 2024, on his final journey to Tyneham, Peter recalled his youth, telling the Dorset Echo at the time: "We had no electricity, no mains gas and no running water – we had to pump that from near the church. I remember going to the beach and fishing and we often had mackerel. We were happy until we got moved out."
Tyneham village is located within the Isle of Purbeck, which despite its name, is not an island but a peninsula bordered by the English Channel in the county of Dorset.