We’d brought the bikes with us so we set off for Tyneham village (http://www.isleofpurbeck.com/tyneham.html) today, about 5 miles away. The village is one of a few that were requisitioned by the MoD in 1943 in preparation for the D-Day landings, with a view to being returned to the villagers once the war had ended. However, the military have retained control of the area and it is now used as a live firing range.
At certain times throughout the year the area is open to the public, hence why we were able to visit the village as it is the summer holidays. As you walk or cycle through the area every now and again you come across a tank used for firing practice.
The road to the coast was harder going than we thought and I (Angela) have to confess I pushed the bike up most of the hills - I definitely need to take up swimming to build up the old lung capacity, Dean cannot go that slow on the bike!
Eventually we arrived at Tyneham village and parked the cycles up – there is also a car park there with plenty of space, they just ask a donation of £2 per vehicle and all the funds go towards projects in the Tyneham area. An honesty box is there for donations.
Within the ruins there are boards detailing the previous inhabitants of the cottages, rectory, post office etc. so you can get a feel for the type of people who were moved out. The school room has been recreated and the church has much more information on the occupants, and also the timeline of events that have impacted the area.
There is a walk to Worbarrow Bay about half a mile away so we carried on to the beach on foot (no cycles are allowed past Tyneham) and we were rewarded with a beautiful view. The breeze off the sea was quite fierce so the cobwebs were well and truly blown away!
Neither of us were looking forward to the journey back and it felt like it took forever, so about a mile from the site when we came across a pub in Church Knowle we stopped for a drink. We were going to treat ourselves to lunch but they were closing in 15 minutes so we ended up with a packet of crisps each – no pickled egg. The pub is called the New Inn and they serve morning coffee, takeaway soups and fish & chips, along with their normal menu served on the premises.
