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Routemaster buses taking visitors to 'ghost village'

Network Rail A long row of more than 15 vintage Routemaster buses drive along an unmarked road with grass on either side. Cattle can be seen to one sideNetwork Rail
The annual service from Warminster takes visitors to the abandoned village

Vintage Routemaster buses are to transport visitors to a Salisbury Plain village abandoned during the Second World War.

In 1943, the 150 people living in Imber were asked to move out so that the village could be turned into a military defence area.

Public access to Imber, which remains the UK's biggest Ministry of Defence (MoD) training base, is only granted on up to 50 days each year.

The annual bus service, set up to raise money for charity in 2009, will operate for one day only on Saturday, taking people to the 'ghost village'.

A derelict brick building with green coverings over its windows and doors to prevent access
The village's manor house, Imber Court, still stands, a shadow of its former self

Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Imber in the County of Wiltshire, said: “For the 15th year we are welcoming passengers aboard one of the quirkiest bus services in the country.

"They can visit places they can’t normally access from the luxury of buses old and new, including some open-top double deckers."

He said the service attracted people just for the novelty of the beautiful ride across the Plain.

"Imber is the most extraordinary place because it's completely silent and evocative of years gone past; you can imagine the place with Victorian and Edwardian kids, but there's nobody there," he said.

"I don't know anybody who's been there once, who doesn't say, 'that place is etched on my mind as a really memorable place to go'."

A church with a tower stands behind a tall mesh wire fence with rows of barbed wire at the top
St Giles Church is the only original building still in civilian use in Imber

The 39 old and new Routemaster buses, all driven by volunteers, will provide a frequent service during the day from Warminster railway station to Imber on military roads rarely open to the public.

Passengers can then continue across Salisbury Plain to Gore Cross, Chitterne, Tilshead and the Lavingtons.

ianVisits A red double-decker Routemaster bus travels along an unmarked road. Passengers can be seen sitting on the upper deck of the bus, which has an open top. The road is flanked by five soldiers wearing camouflage uniforms and kneeling in the grass vergesianVisits
The buses, each driven by volunteers, will travel on military roads rarely open to the public

The 2023 event saw record-breaking attendance, with more than 4,000 people riding the buses and raising £38,000 in the process.

This year, all-day tickets cost £10 for adults and £2 for children.

The money will be donated to charities including the Friends of St Giles Church and the Royal British Legion.

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