24 January 2010

Ghost village

Tyneham in Dorset is now a ghost village. Six days before Christmas in 1943 the villagers were given a month to pack up and leave their homes (106 properties in a 12-square-mile area) so that the army could practise for D-Day. They were never allowed back, and the army kept the land; it's now part of a firing range. Clara, who took these photos, reports that when you enter the village your GPS and mobile phone signal suddenly stop working.

The land is now a firing range - and photogenic location. My own interest is the strange spaces that are left in the walls of the roofless, stripped-down buildings - fireplaces and other nooks.





Read more about Tyneham here and here.

4 comments:

Hilary said...

Hi Margaret,

Tyneham is my neck of the woods - along with Corfe Castle, another wonderful roofless space with windows and vistas and a few ruined churches in the area. Try Netley Abbey near Southampton for more roofless magnificent spaces with carvings to boot.

Hilary

Jan said...

I love these photographs. They are so inspiring, art wise. Thanks.

Sue Reno said...

Wonderful shots, I love these types of abandoned buildings as well, thanks for posting.

Sandy said...

wow, these photos really do go with your recent work. Had you seen this place or known about it previously.
I can not imagine what it must have been like to just pack up like that and never go back. what kind of memories must be just floating around on the atmosphere there.
so glad you posted about it.
Sandy