Explore English village abandoned during WWII

‘Ghost town: this is like Pompeii’

EBy Jerry Harmer

xplore Britain’s southern coast carefully enough and you can still find relics of the dark years when the country awaited Nazi invasion: abandoned radar stations; tanktraps lost in farmers’ fields; halfhidden concrete bunkers overlooking wide, shingle beaches. Then there’s Tyneham. The first glimpse of this tiny Dorset village is from the long, steep road that takes you from sweeping views of the coast down into a small, wooded valley. At its bottom, Tyneham peeps out from behind a cloak of trees. Or rather, what’s left of it. “This is like Pompeii!” my young son exclaims, as we stand in front of what had once clearly been a row of cottages.

But now only the shells remain. No doors. No windows. No roofs. He’s right. Baking in a Mediterranean-like heatwave, the ruins do have the feel of an archaeological site, an ancient settlement that had met an apocalyptic end.

And in a way, that’s exactly what happened to Tyneham.

Its roots stretch back before that great watershed of British history, the Norman Conquest of 1066. For more than a thousand years, its residents had eked out a precarious living from land and nearby sea.

Then, one day, its long, unremarkable history stopped dead.

It was late 1943 and the tide of the Second World War was turning. D-Day was barely six months away. The British military urgently needed more land for tank training and maneuvers. With a large base nearby, already, its eyes quickly and easily fell on the quiet settlement by the sea.

In November, that year, residents received letters from the War Department ordering them to leave within a month. The note assured

In this July 8, 2018 photo St Mary’s Church in Tyenham stands beneath a brilliant blue sky. (AP)

them this was “in the National Interest” and hoped they would make this “no small sacrifice” with “a good heart”.

Packed

Within weeks they had packed up and left their lush Dorset valley. They’d lived with the dread of German invasion for four years, but the army that actually made them refugees was their own.

As they departed, one of them pinned a note to the church door:

“Please treat the church and houses with care ... We will return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.”

Since then, the roofs and upper floors have collapsed; the doors and windows fallen out. Trees, grass, and weeds reclaimed the land. But the people never did. What was said to be temporary became permanent. The land still belongs to the Ministry of Defense — signs on the approach road remind you of that — but most weekends the tanks and guns fall silent, and the public is allowed in.

It may be small — more hamlet than village — but a visit is utterly absorbing. As you pass down the rows of hollowed-out cottages, unobtrusive display boards show sepia photographs of how they used to look and who lived there, and tell you what they did — postmistress, farmer, gardener — allowing your mind to people the ruins with flesh and blood.

The schoolhouse has been restored to look exactly as it would have, in the early 20th century, and St. Mary’s church has been carefully maintained. But everything else has been laid low by time, and that’s what draws you in.

We wander down shaded village tracks, from The Row to Rectory Cottages, then picnic beside a sunbleached, stone skeleton that was once home to the Taylor family, who washed the village’s clothing till the

In this picture two visitors pause close to an information board outside a

row of ruined cottages in Tyneham, Dorset, south-west England. (AP)

fateful letter landed on their doormat. Butterflies flit from thistle to nettle and the blinding sunshine throws deep shadows across the ruins.

“It makes you realize how hard life was in those days,” says Dorset resident, Linda Bryan, 70, looking at Laundry Cottages. “How sad they had to move out. I wonder where they went?”

Her niece, Lesly-Anne Meader, 60, from nearby Hampshire, is on her first visit.

“It’s very evocative. You can see all the people living here,” she says. “I like ghost stories.”

If You Go... TYNEHAM: Located about a three-hour drive from London, close to the southwest coast, roughly between Lulworth and Corfe, in the county of Dorset. There is signposting close to the village but it is minimal and easily missed. Even a GPS will only put you in the general location. It is not served by public transport. Open most weekends and public holidays, though it is best to check by calling (44)-1929-404819 for a recorded message giving current information. Parking is free though a donation of 2 pounds is suggested. There is no shop, toilets or visitor center.

BEIJING:

Also:

Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site.

News of the “Night At The Great Wall” contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument.

“No matter how they dress it up, this doesn’t hide the fact that this contest is by a private company that will undeniably cause damage to an ancient artifact,” one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

Officials from the Yanqing district -- home to the section of the Great Wall that was to host the sleepover -said in a statement that they had not been notified about the event and that no approval was given.

“We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination,” Airbnb said Tuesday.

Launched last week, the contest invited users to write about breaking down cultural barriers and building new connections.

Four winners would get the chance to spent the night in a customised bedroom built in an ancient watchtower of the wall, which Airbnb said was done in consultation with conservation experts so that “not a single nail” of the Wall would need to be moved.

“This unprecedented level of access will showcase the Great Wall to the world and promote sustainable tourism to China by spotlighting wide ranging efforts to preserve the Wall’s deep heritage and bring Chinese culture to life,” the contest site said.

Airbnb has run similar competitions for the Catacombs in Paris, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Abbey Road Studios in London.

More than 8.6 million Chinese tourists have used Airbnb and the company has about 150,000 room listings in China. However, it is facing stiff competition from local rivals such as Tujia and Xiaozhu, which have flourished in the absence of official government regulations surrounding the fast-growing sector.

Airbnb agreed at the end of March to provide travellers’ passport information to local authorities to comply with regulations that require all foreign visitors to China to register their accommodation details with the police. (Agencies)