I Visited An Abandoned Village In Rural England
It was evacuated during World War II and has been deserted ever since.
Tyneham’s dilapidated buildings have a unique story. The homes, which were once occupied by working-class families, are now empty, and nature has started to reclaim the land.
“Why did the local residents leave?” I ask my father, a resident of the local area.
“The military told everyone to evacuate in 1943,” he replies. “The British Army wanted to use Tyneham as a training ground ahead of the imminent D-Day invasion.”
Our conversation is interrupted by creaking signs and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Even my girlfriend and sisters, following just a little behind, are speechless.
The wind stops for a moment, and I tell my father the village is holding its breath, waiting for its residents to return home. However, he reminds me the greatest casualties of war are often innocent people unfairly caught in the crossfire.
“It’s heartbreaking,” I say. “There’s no other way to put it, really.”
I’m stopped in my tracks by a sign on the church door. The message written by local residents sends chills down my spine, as I remember that none of Tyneham’s residents were allowed to come home.
