Over 3,000 Visitors Explore Wiltshire’s ‘Lost Village’ During Christmas Open Days

The Wiltshire village of Imber, closed to the public for over 80 years, saw a surge of visitors during its Christmas open days from December 29 to January 1. This village was abandoned during World War II when residents evacuated for American troop training.

During the holiday break, more than 3,000 people visited Imber, bringing life back to the village. Among them was Jean Harris, who recalled her childhood in Imber. At eight years old, she left her home in 1943. Now nearing her 90th birthday, Jean returned with her niece, Julie Sparks, to revisit her childhood streets.

Jean and her family friends visited the grave of Arthur and Florence Wyatt in the churchyard of St Giles Church. Julie stated, “It’s a tradition in our close-knit family to revisit Imber over the holiday break to tidy up the grave of our ancestors and it was a pleasure to bring my aunt Jean back to the village.”

Many visitors also explored the 13th-century St Giles Church, which has a custodian, Neil Skelton. He has cared for the church since retiring from the Churches Conservation Trust over 15 years ago. Neil mentioned, “I could not do it all alone now. I am lucky to have a good team of volunteers.”

He added, “The open days always attract lots of visitors, and this helps us to conserve the 350 churches for future generations.” St Giles is the only building still standing in Imber, which opens for a few days each year, allowing the public to tour the church and the deserted village.

Funds from visitor purchases of refreshments and souvenirs support the Churches Conservation Trust, which protects around 350 historic churches in the UK, including St Giles. Imber, located within the military training area on Salisbury Plain, has a rich history, noted in the Domesday Book of 1086, and was home to about 250 residents before evacuation for military training before D-Day.