When is imber open to the public

The Ministry of Defence opens Imber Village to the public on select days of the year. This used to be around 50 public open days but now this has been reduced to just a couple of days. There are warning signs everywhere that it is extremely dangerous to explore Salisbury Plain on the outskirts of Imber. No access means no access! As a Ministry of Defence training ground, there are leftover bits of shrapnel and unexploded military debris which can put you in danger.

Some visitors decided to ignore these warning signs and went on to explore these restricted access areas and buildings. Because of this, the open days have been reduced to just a couple of days but they could stop altogether if people keep breaking the rules.

So, when you see the announcement that Imber village is open, grab the opportunity with both hands while you can! How much does it cost to visit Imber? Imber village only opens to the public three times each year for a couple of days or weeks. I would personally follow their Facebook Page for the latest announcements. This is usually the first place that you will see posts about Imber open days a few months in advance.

The MoD can change their mind at any time without notice. Click here to follow the Imber Facebook Page for announcements. There are a couple of ways that you can access Imber village each year. One is by a bus tour and the other is by driving to Imber yourself. Every year, around 30 vintage red buses make a journey from Warminster to Imber Village. The event is called the Imber Bus Run. Click here for details on the Imber bus website. The road to Imber is blocked off by the military for the majority of the year.

So, the general public can only drive to Imber on specific dates. The dates are different every year. Check here for open day announcements on the Imber Facebook page. There is a 30 mph speed limit accross Salisbury Plain but there is a 15 mile speed limit when you enter Imber Village. One is flat and the other has major potholes. So, follow my directions below to ensure to avoid the bad roads around Imber village!

The abandoned Imber village is located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The closest city to Imber Range is Salisbury, there is also Lavington village, Westbury, Melksham, and Devizes which are just a few miles away. There is a Google Map pin for Imber which you can find here. Note: there are warning signs everywhere on this road to keep to the carriageway and which places have no public access. So, if you cannot find space, you can always park up on the roadside in the off-road lay-bys. There are places all the way down the road where cars can park with consideration on the grass verges.

Although a ghost village, you may be surprised to know that there is actually a lot of things to do in Imber! This acts as the welcome centre for Imber on open days. Unlike the buildings in the ghost village, the church has been beautifully preserved! It has a history since the 13th-century and you can find many original features like the font and nave. There are also some rare medieval wall paintings of the Seven Deadly Sins.

I loved the flower arrangements that had been placed in here and the team informed me that a lady drives all the way from Wales to make them for Imber! They were absolutely gorgeous. There is also a small gift shop here which sells postcards, souvenirs and locally made preserves like honey and jams too so you can remember your visit!

It is of course, therefore hugely popular. This is the bus route through the middle of the Salisbury Plain to the abandoned village of Imber — the ImberBus.

There are only a few days each year on which the road to Imber is open to the public and so this year the Imberbus service will operate on: Saturday 21st August Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by 1 st December.

We are hoping that as in previous years a Routemaster Bus will operate from Warminster Rail Station; leaving at hours 1. Details will be included with tickets sent out to successful applicants.

Post Christmas Open Days. The church will be open from hours 11 am until hours 4 pm daily from Wednesday 29 th December through to Monday 3rd January Please note that the Ministry of Defence always reserves the right to close off access to Salisbury Plain and Imber for operational reasons and without notice.

Further information will be posted here when available. Last Updated 09 Nov The population was told to leave in December and has never returned. The isolated village and St Giles Church, the only building left intact after the Army took over, will be open to visitors until 5 January.

Public access to Imber is granted by the MoD on up to 50 days each year. But with military training dictating dates of public access and the MoD reserving the right to close off access without notice, the number of days granted falls well short of that.