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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
'Ghost' village where time stopped in 1943 as everyone forced to leave and gates locked at dusk
Wartime era meant villagers who were forced to abandon their homes, they left a haunting note behind - and never retuned An abandoned Dorset village is like nowhere else in Britain, a bygone relic yet not forgotten. Devastating circumstances led to the residents being forced to leave their much-loved homes decades ago. Nestled on Dorset's stunning Jurassic Coast, visiting Tyneham village is like stepping back in time. You get a glimpse into the lives of the villagers who were forced to abandon the village in the Second World War. It was 1943 when the bustling community of Tyneham would see their lives change forever. It was the middle of World War Two as the British military requisitioned the village for training purposes. This meant devastated villagers were given a month's notice to evacuate their homes where many families had lived for generations. The government of the time claimed Tyneham village and the surrounding land to use as a base to train the Allied forces, as it is next to the Lulworth firing range. Villagers believed they were abandoning their homes for the greater good of the country and thought they would return once the war was over. A note was pinned to the church door, it read: '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.' Sadly though, the villagers could never come back to their homes in Tyneham as even when World War Two ended, the village and surrounding land became a training ground for military exercises Now the village, still frozen in time after nearly 80 years, is a 'thought-provoking and interesting' tourist attraction. It opens at certain times of the year and visitors describe its 'fascinating insights into the lives of residents'. When the village isn't open to the public, the gates blocking access are locked at disk every evening. One visitor's review on TripAdvisor reads: '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.' Another TripAdvisor review described 'a wonderful place - very atmospheric and sad but in a way that keeps drawing you back to visit'. The last resident of Tyneham, Peter Wellman died aged 100 in April this year - the centenarian made a final visit to the village in 2024, to see the place where he was born and brought up. In 2024, on his last visit to Tyneham, Peter remembered his childhood days, he told 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 situated within the Isle of Purbeck, however, it's not actually an island but a peninsula bordered by the English Channel in the county of Dorset.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- BBC News
Headlines: Blue walls in car park and maternity unit closure
Here's our weekly roundup of stories from across local websites in the West of have a daily round up as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app. What have been the big stories in the West this week? At the start of the week Bristol woke up to the news of a death at the half marathon event on the West Country reported 28-year-old rugby player Jon Devereux, from Chester, died after after collapsing and falling ill at the Great Bristol Live's article on the sudden closure of part of the Co-op car park in Westbury-on-Trym and some walls installed there also gained a lot of attention this week. Nearby residents are now calling for an investigation after the area was cordoned off with blue body found in the search for missing 16-year-old Athrun got a lot of reaction from ITV West Country and Bristol Live audiences. Searches had been ongoing in the West Shore area of Llandudno following the sighting of a body on news from The Dorset Echo, Somerset Live and ITV West Country on the temporary closure of Yeovil's maternity unit gained a lot of traction this week. In a statement the hospital trust told ITV West Country, it "cannot currently safely run the unit" or "safely provide care during labour and birth". Top six stories for the BBC in the West Something longer to read This week BBC News took an in-depth look at children's safety online across the West of West's live page compiled investigative and analytical pieces across all platforms including this piece on teenagers being exposed to content about weapons, bullying, murder and suicide soon after joining social media platforms. Explore more with our daily roundups
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Here's why these Dorset runners are taking on the London Marathon this weekend
RESIDENTS from across Dorset will take on the London Marathon this weekend. The world-famous race will see thousands take to the capital's streets to raise millions of pounds for charity. We invited Dorset Echo readers participating in the event on Sunday, April 27 to get in touch with us and tell us their stories about why they are taking part. Here's what they told us:
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Let us know what you've been doing for Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is always a big occasion, but this year's fundraising extravaganza is going to be even more special as it marks the 40th anniversary of the charity's foundation. Across Dorset today people will be raising money for Comic Relief 2025 in all manner of ways - and we want to hear all about it. Tell us what you've been doing and send us a picture of you doing it for a chance to be featured in the Dorset Echo and on our website. Whether it's sitting in a bath of baked beans, running, dressing up or selling cakes, we want to know about it and give you a shout-out for your efforts. Tell us all about it right here.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Village roads closure for works
ROADS in a Dorset village are to be closed for Openreach works to be carried out. West Street and Lower Street in Winterborne Stickland will be shut from February 24. It is thought that the works will be completed by March 5. The temporary closure order says that all vehicles will be prohibited from proceeding along West Street, Winterborne Kingston from outside West Down Barn, West Street and Sunnyside Farm, Lower Street (in both directions), a distance of approximately 840 metres. The order is needed in order to comply with health and safety regulations, which require the provision of safe working areas and to minimise the likelihood of danger to highway users. For more public notices like this see the Dorset Echo Public Notices Portal here. This Order will provide Openreach engineers with a safe working area to lay ducting. A diversion will be in place. For more information about the work being undertaken and access arrangements, call Sunbelt Rentals (Agents for Openreach) on 03700 500 792 (Option 4).
