Abandoned Imber village evacuated in WWII open to public

Custodian Neil Skelton said the church was one of the village’s only original structures that remain, alongside the old pub.

“There are very few of the original houses left because when they evacuated in 1943 they were mostly cob and thatch,” he said.

“Of course once the thatch went, the water got in and the cob fell to the ground.”

He added most of the larger stone buildings were badly damaged during training and they were subsequently demolished.

Most other houses are either hollowed-out shells or modern, windowless buildings built to simulate urban environments for military training.