Tyneham – The Real Ghost Village Behind The Ghost Village Murders
Tyneham is a real abandoned village in Purbeck, Dorset, and the setting for The Ghost Village Murders, the ninth book in my Dorset Crime series. Here's the story of the village, my research trips there, and why it's the perfect place for a murder mystery.
Imagine the scene. You're a crime writer, planning a series of novels set in Dorset. What's the one location you absolutely can't overlook? Tyneham, of course.
What happened to Tyneham?
Tyneham is a village between Wareham and Lulworth. In 1943, it had a population of 225. By then the Second World War was in full flow, and the Ministry of Defence decided it had a better use for the village. It needed somewhere with buildings, where it could train soldiers to fight in a built-up environment. All in preparation for D-Day.
The authorities knocked on doors and told people they had to get out. And the British population in 1943 was a lot more willing to make that kind of sacrifice than we'd be today. (Can you imagine it now? The government knocks on your door and tells you to leave so they can fire guns at your home. Would you say yes? I doubt it.)
The people of Tyneham were moved out to nearby towns and villages. They were promised that after a while they'd be able to return. The last person to leave even left a note on the church door: 'Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.'
But they never returned.
So in an eerily quiet spot in Dorset, not far from the sea, you can find a completely abandoned village. Some of the buildings are intact, others are shells of their former selves. The church, interestingly, has been perfectly preserved. The whole place is a snapshot of a long-forgotten way of life, a real-life museum of Dorset's history.
And, as I may have mentioned, the perfect place to dump a body.
Can you visit Tyneham?
Yes. One of the wonderful things about Tyneham is that, despite being a tourist destination, the MoD hasn't tried to make money from it. There's no entrance fee and no barrier to entry, as long as the firing ranges aren't closed for exercises.
On weekdays for much of the year, you can't get near it. The Lulworth ranges around it are closed to cars and walkers to protect the public. But in the height of summer, and at weekends, you can drive along the B3070 out of Lulworth, take a right turn onto a narrow lane, and find yourself in Tyneham.
Researching The Ghost Village Murders at Tyneham
I took my first research trip to Tyneham in the spring of 2021. Corfe Castle was still closed because of Covid restrictions, as were all the pubs and hotels in the county. Dorset was quiet, and Tyneham was quieter still.
I had the place to myself. That let me imagine what the village would feel like if the police shut it down as a crime scene, with CSI vans and squad cars the only sign of life.
It also meant I could have a good old poke around the abandoned buildings. Some of them are fenced off for safety, and I wasn't foolish enough to try exploring those, but I got an uninterrupted view of them and captured some video footage with only birdsong for a backing track.
I even walked up Worbarrow Tout (yes, tout, not trout, as I first thought) and got close to what I can only assume was a target.
In the summer of 2022 I was staying near Durdle Door, where some other key scenes in the book take place, and I'd arranged to meet my friend Maria at Tyneham. There was something magical about the deserted village in the evening. The low sun brought an extra layer of tranquillity, and I couldn't help marvelling at the fact that, provided the road is open, anyone can get into Tyneham at any time of day.
I started to imagine teenagers using the village as a place to gather. A couple sneaking off to get some time alone... and then finding a body.
How does The Ghost Village Murders begin?
The book opens with Faye and her boyfriend Kyle in Tyneham village. They're with a group of friends, looking for somewhere private to party. Somewhere with no one for miles to hear them, and no one to tell them what to do.
But Faye's friend Daisy has wandered off. And when Faye goes looking for her, she finds something she wasn't expecting: a body, in one of the fenced-off buildings.
Once the body has been found and the village sealed off, the fun begins for DCI Lesley Clarke and her team. There are forensics, and the struggle to examine a body in the middle of an abandoned building that could crumble at any moment. There's no CCTV, of course. And there are lots of people sneaking about in the woods, moving evidence from one place to another, and using the abandoned village to hide all kinds of dodgy goings-on.
That's why I loved writing about Tyneham, and why I wholeheartedly recommend a visit. Just make sure you don't go when there's any chance of being in the line of fire.
Real locations in The Ghost Village Murders
Tyneham village
Tyneham church and schoolhouse (both are museums)
Worbarrow Bay and Worbarrow Tout
Durdle Door
Lulworth
Monkey World
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New to the series? Start with The Corfe Castle Murders, or get the prequel novella The Ballard Down Murder free.
