There are plenty of lost villages in the West Country that are waiting to be found. And this Christmas could be just the perfect time to explore them.
Spread across the area are what remains of some of the earliest villages and settlements in our region, hidden away in beautiful corners of the South West. Dating back centuries, the remains can still be found of many of these settlements and they present a worthy prize for anyone who goes in search of them.
There are plenty of places hidden off the beaten track to which you could venture. Some are well hidden and will require some finding, but what you will discover at the end of it will make it all worthwhile.
While there are plenty around to see, here’s a rundown of the nine best places you can seek out on your doorstep:
Imber
The ‘ghost village’ of Salisbury Plain has been the subject of much interest as a result of its sudden abandonment in World War II.
Abandoned in 1943 so the area could be used for military training exercises, the land is still owned by the Ministry of Defence after the War Office had bought land and properties and leasing them back to residents. This ownership meant residents had no choice but to vacate the village when instructed.
Many of the buildings remained intact in the village, which has now been brought back to life but official tours of the village only run on up to 50 days per year.
However, you can still get a view of the settlement because Imber is off the Westbury White Horse walking trail, an 8-mile track taking in the sights of the eponymous White Horse before passing the Imber site.
Clicket
Clicket is located on a public footpath, close to the village of Dunster. The area is also completely inaccessible by car, so you will need to go on foot to be able to find this forgotten area.
It is very easy to miss, as there are no information boards and the various ruins of houses, a farm, a mill, quarries and limekilns are very overgrown, particularly in the summer months.
Clicket was never a large settlement and the various buildings which made up the “village” were scattered along the valley bottom. Bickham’s Mill (also called Beckham Mill) was located to the north east of Clicket on the east side of the valley.
Thorn Farm, which is now ruined, was further up the eastern side of the valley to the east of Bickham’s Mill, which both may have dated from medieval times. The village of Clicket may have existed as early as the 14th century but it doesn’t definitely appear in records until 1809.
In the 1851 Census there were 14 people living in Clicket in four families called Cole, Tarr and Williams (2 families).
See Somerset Live’s venture into Clicket here.
Old Sarum
This is one of the more fascinating towns to visit, as it was the earliest site of the settlement that would eventually become Salisbury. Now an English Heritage site, it was also the site of Salisbury’s original cathedral and the former site sits atop the Iron Age hillfort near the now-thriving town.
Dating back possibly as far as 400BC, there is well over 2,000 years of history contained in the land. For 150 years it stood as “a major centre of both secular and ecclesiastical government”, according to English Heritage, and contained both a royal castle and cathedral within its walls.
It is open to the public as an attraction, with 29 acres of land to explore, but as a result of the current restrictions on mass gatherings tickets need to be booked in advance.
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Tyneham
Just a mile’s walk from Worbarrow Bay on the Jurassic Coast, Tyneham is notorious as Dorset’s ‘lost village’ after being evacuated in December 1943, during World War II. It has been deserted since then and has not been put to use since being taken over for military training, since the villagers were not allowed to return after that.
There are several pieces of evidence in the area surrounding Tyneham suggesting Roman occupation and the village is mentioned under the name Tigeham, meaning ‘goat enclosure’, in the Domesday Book.
The site of the village has been seen on a wider scale as it was used for the filming of ‘Comrades’, a movie about the Tolpuddle Martyrs, in 1985 and was seen in the climax of ‘Angel’s Share’ in 2006.
Dorset school students have also made films there in the past, with students from Dumpton School given permission by the Ministry of Defence to film in the village.
(A note for anyone who goes walking around the area: Tyneham and Worbarrow are part of the Ministry of Defence Lulworth Ranges so if walking to Worbarrow Bay you must keep to the paths marked with yellow posts at all times.)
Winterborne Farringdon
Set deep within Dorset, found roughly one and a half miles south of Dorchester, the remnants of the village of Winterborne Farringdon are situated within the South Winterborne valley. Dated back to at least the 14th century by the remains of St German’s Church, the earliest recording of the village comes in 1397 although its precise origins are uncertain.
Plenty of ground remains are still visible of what was the village many years ago, and one wall of the ancient church that was found there is still standing, being Grade II-listed now. There are theories that the wall may have been rebuilt in the 19th century, according to Historic England, but the rest of the remains on the site stretch over a surrounding area of around eight hectares.
The land the village lay on is now part of the nearby settlements of Winterborne Came and Winterborne Herringston, and the best shot at seeing the remains of the church are through a walk starting from near Came Down Golf Club.
Lancaut
Situated almost exactly on the England/Wales border in south Gloucestershire, alongside the River Wye, Lancaut sits on a narrow peninsula formed by the river. The remains of the ramparts of an Iron Age fort can be found along the peninsula but nothing is left of the original village besides the roofless St James’ Church.
As of 1306, the village had ten tenant households, but by 1848 there were only 16 inhabitants in the whole settlement. Lancaut was merged with Tidenham in 1935 and very little now remains of the original village except the church building, which has been purchased by the Forest of Dean Buildings Preservation Trust with the intention of stabilising the structure.
Nether Adber
This village near Marston Magna near Yeovil and Sherborne, is arranged around a green and is believed to have had roads running out of the village on all sides. One of these old roads became what is now Thorney Lane in the Marston Magna area and some remnants of the old village may still be on show on the site.
Documents from both 16th and 17th centuries record land in Nether Adber as being pasture but it’s thought it boasted a moated manor and a chapel in its prime. It was held by Siward the Fowler and then later by the Huntley family, who sold it off field by field in the 17th century.
Nether Adber is one of the best preserved deserted medieval settlements in the county and the village site is now owned by the County Council.
Moreton (Chew Valley Lake)
A settlement that was listed in the Domesday Book when completed in 1086 by William the Conqueror, Moreton was based in what is now the Cheddar Valley Lake.
You can’t actually visit the settlement itself any more, though – unfortunately the settlement was abandoned when the lake was flooded and completely submerged Moreton in the 1950s.
Investigations into the area before the lake was created suggested habitation went back as far as Neolithic times and it is sometimes possible to see evidence of the village when the lake is at a low level.
There are walking routes all around the lake, which would make for a brisk but beautiful weekend walk.
Snap
This abandoned village in Wiltshire was recorded initially under the name of Snape in 1268, and in the 14th century had just 19 poll-tax payers. Found in the parish of Aldbourne in north-east Wiltshire, it was primarily made up of farming people until the end of the 19th century, when changes in agricultural practices forced the abandonment of the settlement.
Most of the remaining buildings were destroyed as the area was used for army gunnery practice for the First World War, with the rubble plundered for building materials until very little evidence of the original village existed. It lies near the Ridgeway National Trail, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a walk in serene social distance with the last of the year’s good weather.
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This article was first published in December 2022 and was republished for December 2024.