Abandoned timewarp UK village that people can’t visit will open on two days this year | UK | News

A deserted village in Wiltshire that has been abandoned for more than 80 years will open its doors to the public for a weekend this spring. Imber, a ghost town on Salisbury Plain, was evacuated in 1943 to allow American troops to train for the D-Day landings.

Residents were given only 47 days to evacuate their homes, and the area continues to serve as an urban warfare training ground. One local resident, blacksmith Albert Nash, is said to have died of heartbreak after being forced to leave his beloved home. Now, decades later, the village opens to the public on certain days each year, allowing visitors to step back in time and explore the still-deserted ghost town.

However, over the years, the number of days the village was open to the public decreased. Neil Skelton, custodian of St Giles’ Church and the Ministry of Defence’s primary contact for access to Imber, said: “This restriction is due to visitors ignoring instructions regarding trespassing to restricted areas in the village of Imber.” said Skelton.

Skelton warned that entering restricted areas in the village “puts one at risk of injury or even death as there may be unexploded ordnance in these areas.”

This year the village can be reached by ImberBus from Warminster on 4 and 5 April. Buses leave approximately every 10-15 minutes between 9.30 in the morning and 17.00 in the evening.

As seat reservations cannot be made in advance on the bus, visitors are advised to arrive on the bus and pay the conductor or purchase tickets from the box office outside Warminster Station on the day.

The main attraction during the open day is the 16th-century St Giles Church, the only building open to the public. According to the ImberBus website the amenities are almost non-existent; meaning there are no shops, permanent toilets, electricity or phone signal.

All other buildings and areas are “strictly excluded from public access” and there is a warning stating that trespassers risk prosecution and injury.

An art exhibition will be held in the Library, as well as an exhibition at the Atheneum Theater in Warminster for those wishing to learn more about Imber’s history.