Tyneham: The WWII Evacuated Village

Famous for being the ‘lost’ village, Tyneham is located near Lulworth Cove in Dorset and is a fascinating place to discover a part of history.

The History

On November 1943, the 225 residents of Tyneham were given a notice by the army to leave the village within 28 days in order to serve the needs of the country in a time of war. On 17 December 1943, the village was left deserted with many villagers believing that they would return one day.

Before leaving, a notice was placed on the church door which 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 and keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly”

Sadly, the day of returning home never came and nobody has lived in Tyneham village ever since.

The School

Originally built in 1856 to school 60 pupils and by 1932, the attendance dropped to just 9. After that, the school closed and has since been restored and used as a museum for visitors.

When stepping into the school, you get the feeling of stepping back in time. The pupils names are still on their pegs, the handwritten letters/drawings are on display, the old books are stored on the book shelf and everything is exactly how it used to be.

Today

Today, Tyneham is part of a training area for the army’s gunnery school. Attracting the curious tourists and offering a beautiful insight to the remains.

The public have been allowed to access the village since the army gave permission in 1975 but only during weekends and holiday periods.

The village was simply just in the wrong location. Apart from the buildings, you can still find small reminders of the life before the evacuation.

I couldn’t even imagine how creepy this village would be as soon as the day turns to night. The fact that the residents never returned but the notice on the church door ‘we shall return one day’ leaves me slightly haunted. It is famous for being a ‘ghost’ village after all..