The abandoned village of Imber

[mattie]

Has anyone been to Imber?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imber

Just curious, no other reason. I've never been to a ghost town.

 

[Geri]

That looks spooky.

What's that place on the Mendips that was flooded to make the reservoir? When water levels are low, you can see the church spire.

 

[JimW]

Not personally but know people who have - used to be involved in Cruisewatch way back when and hung around Salisbury Plain a load. Some of the folk would mooch about sites where the convoy had deployed as interesting stuff would turn up in what they left behind. Took part in some mass trespass at Springhill Quarry (sp?) where that big govt bunker with its own rail siding was too. It might even be open to the public now but got myself nicked and fined for not much at the time.

 

[marty21]

I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham

which is similar - felt a bit like a film set

 

[wiskey]

Not personally but know people who have - used to be involved in Cruisewatch way back when and hung around Salisbury Plain a load.

thats funny so did my dad and we were talking about it only the other day.

I haven't been to imber despite trying to (got foiled but it will happen), my parents have been.

I have walked across the army land though.

 

[newbie]

it's usually open at easter and over christmas/new year a few days, and there's usually a church service. The village itself is not that atmospheric really, but there's a bit of a tingle watching the people go into the church. Most of the buildings are pretty derelict, or patched up with breeze blocks, but there's an old manor house in a walled garden that appears to untouched and unused and thus mysterious in a Famous Five sort of way.

What I like is the emptiness of the plain, apart from a few dead tanks there's little evidence of the military or of people.

fwiw I did quite a bit of Cruisewatching too, but never made it anywhere near Imber, we were always creeping around on the other side of the plain, by the Bustard.

 

[editor]

I'd love to visit the place. Here's an interesting photo slideshow (recommend you turn your volume down!)



And turn your volume to off for this one:

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Imber is also usually open one Saturday / weekend a year (this year's was 3 August), and there's usually a bus service around the area connecting it with the outside world - more here

 

[gentlegreen]

It features in one of my misheard lyrics ..

"There's no point in asking
You'll get no reply
Just seen Imber dum dum de dum ..."

 

[mog1976]

Theres more going on there then where i come from

 

[hash tag]

Well, it's that weekend when Imber is open again. A picnic may be in order

http://www.imberchurch.org.uk/

 

[dylanredefined]

Has anyone been to Imber?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imber

Just curious, no other reason. I've never been to a ghost town.

Yes quite often copehill down is better as the buildings are closer together and bigger.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham

which is similar - felt a bit like a film set

I've been there too - it does feel a bit weird.

 

[editor]

I haven't been there, but I have been to Tyneham

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyneham

which is similar - felt a bit like a film set

I went there in 2009:

http://www.urban75.org/walks/tyneham-lost-village-dorset.html

 

[marty21]

I've been there too - it does feel a bit weird.

driving around there is strange as well, lots of signs for tanks! And warnings about ordinance

 

[marty21]

I went there in 2009:

http://www.urban75.org/walks/tyneham-lost-village-dorset.html

it is worth a visit.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

driving around there is strange as well, lots of signs for tanks! And warnings about ordinance

The warnings reminded me of a visit to the Warcop firing range up in the Pennines when I was a lad.

 

[marty21]

The warnings reminded me of a visit to the Warcop firing range up in the Pennines when I was a lad.

I think there is a layby in the area where you can park up and watch tanks driving fast around a tank track, going up and down over tank humps, and creating a lot of dust (it was very dry when we were there) it was exciting

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I think there is a layby in the area where you can park up and watch tanks driving fast around a tank track, going up and down over tank humps, and creating a lot of dust (it was very dry when we were there) it was exciting

Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?

 

[marty21]

Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I knew it!

 

[kebabking]

Did you go 'vroom vroom' and pretend you were driving a tank?

i did, but i was learning to drive this at the time.

not a tank, as i was repeatedly told by my exasperated instructors - big gun, tracks. its a tank, and i'm a muthafuka tank commander muthafuka, (massive throaty diesel roar as 50 tons of better-than-sex rips up verges, fences, signposts, bits of road...) oddly, i was never required to actually drive one again.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

bump - Saturday (22 August) is this year's Imber Bus event

more here

 

[hash tag]

Bigger. Already out all day playing at tourist in town

 

[Chilli.s]

I'v been to Imber (and Tyneham). It's a bit boring with nothing to see but a few old houses that the army play in. The manor house is still whole and the church untouched and used for god stuff. Driving across the parts of the plain that you usually can't was the best bit. Worth going? mabey if strange is what you like.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

another bump - imber bus thing (connecting to / from trains at warminster assuming there are any trains to connect with) this saturday 26 August

Imberbus

 

[SpookyFrank]

Voted best nightlife in Wiltshire ten years running.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Imber Bus event seems to be on again this year - Saturday 21 August

 

[Puddy_Tat]

2022 Imber Bus event - Saturday 20 August

 

[existentialist]

2022 Imber Bus event - Saturday 20 August

Will Geoff Marshall be there?