# The abandoned village of Imber



## mattie (Jul 29, 2009)

Has anyone been to Imber?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imber

Just curious, no other reason.  I've never been to a ghost town.


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## Geri (Jul 29, 2009)

That looks spooky. 

What's that place on the Mendips that was flooded to make the reservoir? When water levels are low, you can see the church spire.


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## JimW (Jul 29, 2009)

Not personally but know people who have - used to be involved in Cruisewatch way back when and hung around Salisbury Plain a load. Some of the folk would mooch about sites where the convoy had deployed as interesting stuff would turn up in what they left behind. Took part in some mass trespass at Springhill Quarry (sp?) where that big govt bunker with its own rail siding was too. It might even be open to the public now but got myself nicked and fined for not much at the time.


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## marty21 (Jul 29, 2009)

I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham

which is similar - felt a bit like a film set


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## wiskey (Jul 29, 2009)

JimW said:


> Not personally but know people who have - used to be involved in Cruisewatch way back when and hung around Salisbury Plain a load.



thats funny so did my dad and we were talking about it only the other day. 

I haven't been to imber despite trying to (got foiled but it will happen), my parents have been.

I have walked across the army land though.


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## newbie (Jul 29, 2009)

it's usually open at easter and over christmas/new year a few days, and there's usually a church service.  The village itself is not that atmospheric really, but there's a bit of a tingle watching the people go into the church.  Most of the buildings are pretty derelict, or patched up with breeze blocks, but there's an old manor house in a walled garden that appears to untouched and unused and thus mysterious in a Famous Five sort of way.

What I like is the emptiness of the plain, apart from a few dead tanks there's little evidence of the military or of people.

fwiw I did quite a bit of Cruisewatching too, but never made it anywhere near Imber, we were always creeping around on the other side of the plain, by the Bustard.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2013)

I'd love to visit the place. Here's an interesting photo slideshow (recommend you turn your volume down!)



And turn your volume to off for this one:


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## Puddy_Tat (Sep 8, 2013)

Imber is also usually open one Saturday / weekend a year (this year's was 3 August), and there's usually a bus service around the area connecting it with the outside world - more here


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## gentlegreen (Sep 8, 2013)

It features in one of my misheard lyrics ..



> "There's no point in asking
> You'll get no reply
> Just seen *Imber *dum dum de dum ..."


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## mog1976 (Sep 9, 2013)

Theres more going on there then where i come from


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## hash tag (Mar 30, 2015)

Well, it's that weekend when Imber is open again. A picnic may be in order

http://www.imberchurch.org.uk/


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## dylanredefined (Mar 30, 2015)

mattie said:


> Has anyone been to Imber?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imber
> 
> Just curious, no other reason.  I've never been to a ghost town.



 Yes quite often copehill down is better as the buildings are closer together and bigger.


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## farmerbarleymow (Mar 30, 2015)

marty21 said:


> I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham
> 
> which is similar - felt a bit like a film set



I've been there too - it does feel a bit weird.


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## editor (Mar 30, 2015)

marty21 said:


> I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham
> 
> which is similar - felt a bit like a film set


I went there in 2009:



























http://www.urban75.org/walks/tyneham-lost-village-dorset.html


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## marty21 (Mar 30, 2015)

farmerbarleymow said:


> I've been there too - it does feel a bit weird.


 driving around there is strange as well, lots of signs for tanks! And warnings about ordinance


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## marty21 (Mar 30, 2015)

editor said:


> I went there in 2009:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 it is worth a visit.


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## farmerbarleymow (Mar 30, 2015)

marty21 said:


> driving around there is strange as well, lots of signs for tanks! And warnings about ordinance



The warnings reminded me of a visit to the Warcop firing range up in the Pennines when I was a lad.


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## marty21 (Mar 30, 2015)

farmerbarleymow said:


> The warnings reminded me of a visit to the Warcop firing range up in the Pennines when I was a lad.


 I think there is a layby in the area where you can park up and watch tanks driving fast around a tank track, going up and down over tank humps, and creating a lot of dust (it was very dry when we were there) it was exciting


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## farmerbarleymow (Mar 30, 2015)

marty21 said:


> I think there is a layby in the area where you can park up and watch tanks driving fast around a tank track, going up and down over tank humps, and creating a lot of dust (it was very dry when we were there) it was exciting



Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?


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## marty21 (Mar 30, 2015)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?


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## farmerbarleymow (Mar 30, 2015)

marty21 said:


>



I knew it!


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## kebabking (Apr 12, 2015)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?



i did, but i was learning to drive this at the time.






not a tank, as i was repeatedly told by my exasperated instructors - big gun, tracks. its a tank, and i'm a muthafuka tank commander muthafuka, (massive throaty diesel roar as 50 tons of better-than-sex rips up verges, fences, signposts, bits of road...) oddly, i was never required to actually drive one again.


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## Puddy_Tat (Aug 19, 2015)

bump - Saturday (22 August) is this year's Imber Bus event

more here


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## hash tag (Aug 20, 2015)

Bigger. Already out all day playing at tourist in town


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## Chilli.s (Aug 20, 2015)

I'v been to Imber (and Tyneham). It's a bit boring with nothing to see but a few old houses that the army play in. The manor house is still whole and the church untouched and used for god stuff. Driving across the parts of the plain that you usually can't was the best bit. Worth going? mabey if strange is what you like.


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## Puddy_Tat (Aug 24, 2017)

another bump - imber bus thing (connecting to / from trains at warminster assuming there are any trains to connect with) this saturday 26 August

Imberbus


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## SpookyFrank (Aug 27, 2017)

Voted best nightlife in Wiltshire ten years running.


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## Puddy_Tat (Jul 30, 2021)

Imber Bus event seems to be on again this year - Saturday 21 August


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## Puddy_Tat (Jun 7, 2022)

2022 Imber Bus event - Saturday 20 August


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## existentialist (Jun 7, 2022)

Puddy_Tat said:


> 2022 Imber Bus event - Saturday 20 August


Will Geoff Marshall be there?


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## Puddy_Tat (Jul 9, 2022)

a slight tangent, but here seems as good as any - report of a visit to foulness, essex - not completely abandoned but very limited access









						This bus route’s restricted to residents and monitored at a security checkpoint
					

Saturday 9th July 2022 I took a ride with my friend Ray on Stephensons’ bus route 14 between Southend-on-Sea and Foulness recently. But we needed special permission to travel on it. That’s because …




					busandtrainuser.com


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## Chilli.s (Jul 9, 2022)

Puddy_Tat said:


> a slight tangent, but here seems as good as any - report of a visit to foulness, essex - not completely abandoned but very limited access
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You can walk there, if you dare, on the most dangerous footpath in England. It goes along the coast, offshore and is tide dependant.


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## Puddy_Tat (Jul 9, 2022)

Chilli.s said:


> You can walk there, if you dare, on the most dangerous footpath in England. It goes along the coast, offshore and is tide dependant.



no thanks, i might get my paws wet...


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## hash tag (Aug 26, 2022)

Another lost village is Tyneham in Purbeck, Dorset. I visited earlier and enjoyed it far more than Imber. 
You can visit Tyneham year round, provide there is no firing. You can wander in and out of the buildings, there is history with them. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous and you can easily visit the totally undeveloped beach of Worbarrow or go further to Lulworth. 








						Tyneham - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


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## newbie (Aug 26, 2022)

Puddy_Tat said:


> a slight tangent, but here seems as good as any - report of a visit to foulness, essex - not completely abandoned but very limited access
> 
> 
> 
> ...


oooh! I've been to the checkpoint, and been turned away, but knew nothing of either the bus or, more interesting, the heritage center open days.  It's going on the todo list, to join the walk on the Broomway which we've failed dismally year after year to book


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## hash tag (Nov 4, 2022)

The opening dates for the rest of this year have recently been announced.


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## Puddy_Tat (Dec 22, 2022)

What may be the last funeral in Imber of a former resident will be taking place in January









						Final funeral in Wiltshire ‘ghost village’ likely to be that of former inhabitant
					

Wish granted for mechanic Ray Nash to be buried in childhood home of Imber, on Salisbury Plain




					www.theguardian.com


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## marty21 (Dec 22, 2022)

hash tag said:


> Another lost village is Tyneham in Purbeck, Dorset. I visited earlier and enjoyed it far more than Imber.
> You can visit Tyneham year round, provide there is no firing. You can wander in and out of the buildings, there is history with them. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous and you can easily visit the totally undeveloped beach of Worbarrow or go further to Lulworth.
> 
> 
> ...


Yes , I mentioned this 13 years ago on this thread 😀


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## hash tag (Dec 22, 2022)

marty21 said:


> Yes , I mentioned this 13 years ago on this thread 😀


Not an easy place to find, but well worth a day out


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## yield (Dec 24, 2022)

marty21 said:


> I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham
> 
> Tyneham - Wikipedia
> 
> which is similar - felt a bit like a film set


A book about it has recently been reissued The Village that Died for England: Tyneham and the Legend of Churchill's Pledge - Repeater Books


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## farmerbarleymow (Jan 5, 2023)

Read a story today about what was possibly the last burial at the village church - some chap who'd lived there. MoD gave permission for the burial to take place.


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## hash tag (Jan 6, 2023)

Puddy_Tat said:


> What may be the last funeral in Imber of a former resident will be taking place in January
> 
> 
> 
> ...





farmerbarleymow said:


> Read a story today about what was possibly the last burial at the village church - some chap who'd lived there. MoD gave permission for the burial to take place.


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