 Tyneham St Mary's |
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Whether you agree with the Army's continuing presence or not, the Tyneham Valley has escaped the unsightly tourism developments, only too prominent along the adjacent coastline. It has been untouched by modern intensive farming practices and is a haven for wildlife, supporting many rare and threatened species. Whatever your reasons for visiting, it is a very special place.
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Until 1943 this was a bustling community of 200, with its own post office,
church, school and rectory. When the War Office (now the Ministry of
Defence) needed some land for firing practice, the residents were asked
to leave. On the door of St Mary's Church a poignant note remains:'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.' But they never did return. In 1948 the War Office took out a compulsory purchase order and the land was commandeered for military use. Information boards in the empty houses tell the story of the village and the campaign to get Tyneham back. Photos show residents as youngsters in the village, and as pensioners camping at the gates with placards saying "Get our village back". In the end, the campaign to get the village back lasted longer than the war. It took over 30 years for access to the village to be restored and even then, it's only for a few days every year (officially 137). In whatever state it continues to delight and intrigue. Patrick Wright who wrote a book about it calls it "the symbol of a vanished England". |
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| The west gallery in St Mary's Church | |||
| http://www.dorsetcamper.com/tyneham.html | |||
| http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/tyneham.html | |||
| http://www.nothingtoseehere.net/2009/04/tyneham_dorset.html | |||
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Pictures kindly supplied by |
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