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Report - - Salisbury Plain Training Area - Imber FIBUA/FISH Village - Dec 2014 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Salisbury Plain Training Area - Imber FIBUA/FISH Village - Dec 2014

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Lord Oort

Fear is the little death
Regular User
Salisbury Plain Training Area - Imber Village - Dec 2014

Imber in the 1920's
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Imber Today
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Imber is an uninhabited village in part of the British Army's training grounds on the Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It is situated in an isolated area of the Plain, about 2.5 miles (4 km) west of the A360 road between Tilshead and West Lavington. The entire civilian population was evicted in 1943 to provide an exercise area for American troops preparing for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War. After the war, villagers were not allowed to return to their homes. The village, which is now part of the civil parish of Heytesbury, remains under the control of the Ministry of Defence despite several attempts by former residents to return. Non-military access is limited to several open days a year.

History

Settlement in the area began before the period of Roman rule, in the British Iron Age or earlier. Several ancient trackways lead to and from the village. The first documentary evidence of Imber's existence comes from Saxon times, with a mention of the village in 967. Imber is also recorded in the Domesday Book, at which time it is believed to have had a population of around fifty. The village's church of St Giles dates from the 13th century and has notable wall-paintings from the 15th. By the 14th century the population of the village had risen to around 250, where it is believed to have remained until the 19th century. Population peaked at 440 as recorded in the census of 1851, declining to around 150 by the time of Imber's abandonment.

Imber was always an isolated community, Salisbury Plain being relatively sparsely populated, and most of its residents were employed in agriculture or work that directly depended on it. The village had an elongated form like a linear village, and its main street followed the course of a stream known as Imber Dock. The only building to survive in a reasonable condition is the church, with the rest becoming derelict or demolished by the Army. In 1943 there was also a Baptist chapel (built in 1839, demolished in late 1970s), a post office, and a pub called the Bell Inn, which still stands; as does the manor house, Imber Court. Also still standing are a farmhouse, farm cottages, schoolroom and four "council house" type blocks built in 1938.

In the late 19th century the War Office began buying land on Salisbury Plain, primarily to the east of Imber, and using it for manœuvres. Beginning in the late 1920s farms around Imber were purchased, as well as the land on which the village itself sat. The pressures of agricultural depression, combined with the good prices offered by the military, encouraged the sale of land, with few being put off by the new conditions of their tenancy. This allowed the War Office to assume control and evict the residents if necessary. By the time of the Second World War, almost all of the land in and around Imber, with the exception of the church, vicarage, chapel, schoolroom and Bell Inn, belonged to the War Office.

On 1 November 1943, with preparations for the Allied invasion of mainland Europe underway, the people of Imber were called to a meeting in the village schoolroom and given 47 days' notice to leave their homes. Imber was to be used by US forces to practise street fighting. Richard Madigan's evidence to the Defence Lands Committee (DLC) stated that street fighting practice never took place and that his, and others', duties were to keep the village in good repair for the villagers' eventual return. The reason for eviction was the village's proximity to shell impact areas. Although upset about being forced to leave, most villagers put up no resistance, even leaving canned provisions in their kitchens and taking the view that it was their duty to contribute to the war effort in this way – making sacrifices on the Home Front for the greater good. Compensation for the move was limited, and the occupants of one farm had to be forcibly evicted by the Army. Albert Nash, who had been the village's blacksmith for over forty years, is said to have been found sobbing over his anvil and later became the first resident to die and be brought back to Imber for burial.

After the war the village was used extensively for training, particularly preparing soldiers for their duties in the urban environments of Northern Ireland. Several empty house-like buildings were constructed during the 1970s to aid training, and it is these, along with the church, Bell Inn and Imber Court, that are Imber's most striking buildings today. Although training continues at Imber, a purpose-built urban warfare complex for close quarters battle at Copehill Down (approx 3 miles SE) has recently been the focus of this type of training, as that site is easier to adapt to reflect the areas in which troops are likely to be deployed.

Many of the village's buildings suffered shell and explosion damage after the war when UK military operations began, and, additionally eroded by the weather, quickly fell into disrepair. Although the villagers had been told they could return in six months, this was never allowed. Documentary evidence of a return agreement only came to light at the Defence Land Committee hearings. At the end of the war, efforts were made to restore Imber to its pre-war condition – although there was very little damage – but the decision was taken not to relinquish control.

A rally in the village was organised in 1961 to demand that the villagers be allowed to move back, and over 2,000 people attended, including many former residents. A public inquiry was held, and found in favour of Imber's continued military use.

The matter was also raised in the House of Lords, and it was decided that the church would be maintained, and would be open for worship on the Saturday closest to St Giles's day each year, a practice that continues.

A further attempt to restore Imber took place in the early 1970s when the Defence Lands Committee (DLC) was tasked to look into the need for the retention of MoD lands. The Imber case was represented before the DLC by David J Johnson, an Imber researcher; Richard Madigan, a former soldier who helped to evacuate the village — and testified to the promise of return after the war — and Rex Mutters, a wartime fighter pilot. They were assisted by Austin Underwood, who had led the campaign in the early 1960s and backed-up with written evidence from former villagers. In spite of all the additional evidence, including the first re-appearance since 1943 of the original eviction letter (which indicated return), the DLC recommended that the village be retained for military use.

The Visit.

Visited on a very cold day in late December with Bertie, Huey & Tallrich. An early start preceded a long drive to Berties place before we cracked on with what would turn out to be a very exciting day!. One thing we noticed straight away was that there was absolutely no security anywhere so after a while we just started wondering around the building and since nobody yelled at us we carried on and did the whole lot!

After Imber we went on to Copehill and the Train Graveyard which you can read about in Berties reports then back to Berties for some much needed hospitality and food (Thanks mate!) and home.

Awesome day, awesome people, great explore!

Big thanks to Bertie for organising the whole thing!

The Pics.



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They were right! A few live blanks lying around as well as hundreds of spent cartridges and grenade pins.

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Close up of Date Stone
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Inside
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Old cattle shed by the look sof it.
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The Church
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Nice Little Spiral Staircase
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Top Floor with quick access back to ground...
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Manor House/Operations

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Thanks for looking!
 
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Oxygen Thief

Admin
Staff member
Admin
It's a strange place that's for sure, especially when you know the history beforehand. It's quite possible to walk straight through here when it's occupied if you look the part. I've never really noticed that date stone before, it's in good condition.
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
There's an older datestone from the 1700s on another building - a building which I am informed to be the old blacksmiths. In the office right now and I really ought to be working, but will upload a photo when I can. It has been alleged to me that the building marked as "21" is the former pub? Can anyone confirm or deny this?

As I live in the area, I regularly visit on the open days - it was very strange this Christmas. For the first ever there was no security and the public had free run of the place. On previous open days, psycho security would had stopped the public from even leaving the road. We enjoyed it whilst we could.

For Oort, as I have already talked to you about it, get to Tyneham on the Lulworth Ranges in Dorset, open most weekends. It's a village with a similar history to Imber but maintained as an open-air museum - well worth the visit, especially the restored school house there.
 
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urbanadvantage

Overtly Covert
28DL Full Member
Liking this, well done, looks like they have had to rebuild bits of it over the years, good shots and write up
 

huey

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice report mate,great day out too. Thanks to BertieBBrains without whom none of us would have seen it at all. Welcome back Ourt,thought you'd croaked it!
 

Lord Oort

Fear is the little death
Regular User
Thanks mate I'm glad we did Imber first as it was so cold my camera started glitching by the time we got into Copehill.
 

TallRich

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice report mate, your photos do it justice!

brings back the memories of a great day out! - Thanks for the invite :thumb
 

Lord Oort

Fear is the little death
Regular User
Oh bugger, I didnt realise you were that close! I feel duly ashamed :(

btw hows the Bristol skyline, have they finished the construction on top of that huge tower yet?
 

Idavoll

Who?
28DL Full Member
Yeah, I live just down the road. In fact, my folks place is classed as being on Salisbury plain.

Bristol is still being worked on, you'll have to pop by once it's done. :-)
 

Bristol Chris

28DL Member
28DL Member
Great photo's! I've just got back from Imber, I've visited it three times, and everytime I come home and look at old maps and find a bit I want to explore next time! I love the pictures inside Imber Court. There were people going in there today but I didn't have the nerve to, it was a good job I didn't because as soon as I got back onto the main road the police turned up! Maybe next time.
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
I live in the area and have been to Imber many a time on the public days (Christmas and Easter) over many years. Every time there has been pyscho security limiting where the public can go. Christmas 2014 (when this report was done) was the only time that I have seen the place security free (hence why we did this report).

I am not surprised at all of what I read in the above posting about the police turning up and I know that it has happened at least once before.
 
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