Secret UK beach that you can only get to by walking through an abandoned village

31 May 2023 , 17:14

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A warning sign over unexploded shells seen on the South West Coast Path between Worbarrow Bay and Brandy Bay (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A beach on the UK coast could be someone's perfect and very private weekend getaway - but there's a catch.

Anyone hoping to visit the 'secret' beach would have to walk through an abandoned village to their sandy destination.

Worbarrow Bay in Dorset looks like a beach straight from a holiday brochure - and you could be fooled into thinking the cove is located on some idyllic Pacific Island.

However, the gorgeous bay in the south west of England can be reached by the "lost village" of Tyneham, which was evacuated in the Second World War.

Tyneham's population were given just 28 days to clear out of the tiny village so the military could make use of it, leaving their homes behind.

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Worbarrow bay on the Dorset Jurassic coastline, south west England (Getty Images)

The villagers were supposed to move back to the picturesque village, just off the Jurassic Coast, but Tyneham was subject to a compulsory purchase act by the British Army - and soldiers continue to use the site as a firing range.

Located in Dorset and home to a gorgeous church dating back to the 13th century, Tyneham has been abandoned for decades, though it remains open to members of the public as footpaths and trails along the Jurassic Coast.

Now all that remains of the ghost village are ruined cottages and rusty farming equipment.

An old telephone box in the now empty village (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Aside from the church, there are no signs of life in Tyneham, save for an unusual old telephone box.

After Winston Churchill's War Cabinet issued clearance notices to 106 properties in the 12-mile square area that encompassed the tiny village, residents were only given the value of the produce in their gardens as compensation.

(Getty Images)

Before their departure, they pinned a note to the church door which read: "We have given up our homes where many of us have lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free.

"We will return one day, and thank you for treating the village kindly."

Despite their generosity, the government decided the area remained useful as a firing range, and the MOD continues to use the ruins of the village to this day.

Tyneham buildings crumble to the ground after being abandoned (Getty Images)

The villagers forced to abandon their homes are now commemorated in the church exhibition, with their names in freeze tiles around the site and photographs on the walls.

While many choose to stay away from the bay, some visitors have left praising reviews of the coast paradise.

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Worbarrow beaches and coves in Dorset (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Other visitors have been amazed by the beach too, with one writing on TripAdvisor "The scenery was spectacular and there wasn't a huge number of people about compared to the packed beaches of Bournemouth and Sandbanks."

Another said: "So glad we went as it's just stunning! Pebble beach as is normal on the Jurassic Coast, beautiful views and peaceful."

A third added: "This is an idyllic unspoilt beach. Stunning views of the bay and Portland Bill."

Abigail O'Leary