Imber & Copehill Down Villages

[Knife 04]

Heard the Imber Village was open to the public last weekend so decided to visit as only open to the public for a very limited time during the year.

Imber is an uninhabited village on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. The entire civilian population were given 47 days notice and evicted in 1943 to provide an exercise area for American troops preparing for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War. After the war, villagers were not allowed to return to their homes.

After the war the village was used extensively for training, particularly preparing soldiers for their duties in the urban environments of Northern Ireland. Several empty house-like buildings were constructed during the 1970s to aid training, and it is these, along with the church, Bell Inn and Imber Court which were 'open' to see as training continues to some degree at Imber.

Interestingly the chuch continues to hold services on a very small number of days during the year, including Christmas

Warning Sign - Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Nags Head Cottages - Formerly Nags Head Pub, Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Urban Warfare Training Area - Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

St Giles Church, Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Imber Court - Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Simulated Belfast Council Houses - Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

The Bell Pub - Imber Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

After visiting the village a quick trip onto Salisbury Plain - tank hulks littered all over the place as targets
Tank Hulk - near Imber Village, Salisbury Plain by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Tank Hulks - near Imber Village, Salisbury Plain by Darren Currie, on Flickr

From there over to Copehill Down Village. Access here is restricted - found it by driving down a track off of one of the tank crossings on Salisbury Plain about 2 miles off the road. Easy to walk around and have a look (if anybody goes watch for the Red Flags flying). Even managed to find a Lynx and an old locomotive there

Copehill Down was built in the late 1980s to simulate an East German village for FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas) Training. In recent years the facility has been expanded to include a shanty town made up of cargo containers stacked and laid out in rows of tightly packed streets, to provide an additional training area that more closely resembles the Army's operational theatres in Iraq & Afghanistan. Copehill Down has now taken over alot of the training from Imber

Copehill Down 'FIBUA' Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Shanty Town & Police Station, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Simulated East German Village, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

FOB Pegish West, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

New Church Tower, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Sangar, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Old Lynx Helicopter, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Old locomotive, Copehill Down Village by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Hope you found of some interest - worth a look if you are in the area

Cheers

Darren

[PeteHemsley]

Very interesting mate. We have 2 huge training set ups at Otterburn camp to the north of Newcastle. It's always worth a look around when the red flags are down!

Thanks for sharing

[deerhunter]

Brilliant post Darren, unfortunately cant get there now, daughter due to go in hosp any day so trip been cancelled.

[edgely66]

wow, looks well worth a visit and interesting. Great pictures and many thanks for posting.

[TeeJay]

Very interesting post Darren, good pictures, especially with a bit of information and history contained in it.
Trev

[Knife 04]

Cheers for the responses guys - much appreciated. Hope you found of interest

Darren

[PaulN]

Hi Darren

Nice set , interesting era , got to feel sorry for the residents , who were promised they could return afterwards only to be told they couldnt , thought they were helping the "war effort" ...!! Look forward to a GC report ??

Cheers

Paul

[Frank the Dog]

Fascinating post, really interesting. Good to see some decent photos with an useful narrative.

Thanks for sharing these Darren.

[Knife 04]

Thanks for the additional comments Paul & Phil

Look forward to a GC report ??

Cheers

Paul

Now there's a thought Paul! Might try and coble something together in the next couple of weeks after this coming weekend

Cheers

Darren

[AndrewBarclay]

Nice set of images Darren, I use to be a frequent visitor to the Plain stayed with friends at West Lavington. I use to park up by
Juliette and watch the armour trundling by. How is the Great Bustard doing?, has it adjusted to the plain. Frank.

[ChrisCwmbran]

Great shots Darren! Thanks for sharing them!

Did you take you know who there with you?

[Knife 04]

Thanks for the additional responses guys

Nice set of images Darren, I use to be a frequent visitor to the Plain stayed with friends at West Lavington. I use to park up by
Juliette and watch the armour trundling by. How is the Great Bustard doing?, has it adjusted to the plain. Frank.

Frank - Not familiar with 'Juilette' I am afraid so not sure where you watched the armour from. Did not get to see any Bustards when we were there - probably scared away by the tanks etc but apparently doing well.

Interestingly stopped in West Lavington on the way back for a bite to eat in the Churchill Arms in the village - can thoroughly recommend it - the food was great as was the service

Great shots Darren! Thanks for sharing them!

Did you take you know who there with you?

Mate - No! A family day out only although I did receive a text asking to be picked up from Truro station and taken there but he did not want to go into the village and only look from outside (shades of RIAT)

Hope all is good

Darren

[rh226]

Interestingly stopped in West Lavington on the way back for a bite to eat in the Churchill Arms in the village - can thoroughly recommend it - the food was great as was the service

Seconded - have eaten there quite a few times and not been disappointed.

[AndrewBarclay]

Thanks for the additional responses guys

Nice set of images Darren, I use to be a frequent visitor to the Plain stayed with friends at West Lavington. I use to park up by
Juliette and watch the armour trundling by. How is the Great Bustard doing?, has it adjusted to the plain. Frank.

Frank - Not familiar with 'Juilette' I am afraid so not sure where you watched the armour from. Did not get to see any Bustards when we were there - probably scared away by the tanks etc but apparently doing well.

Interestingly stopped in West Lavington on the way back for a bite to eat in the Churchill Arms in the village - can thoroughly recommend it - the food was great as was the service

Great shots Darren! Thanks for sharing them!

Did you take you know who there with you?

Mate - No! A family day out only although I did receive a text asking to be picked up from Truro station and taken there but he did not want to go into the village and only look from outside (shades of RIAT)

Hope all is good

Darren

Hi Darren https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=julie ... 66&bih=631 Frank.

[AndrewBarclay]

Thanks for the additional responses guys

Nice set of images Darren, I use to be a frequent visitor to the Plain stayed with friends at West Lavington. I use to park up by
Juliette and watch the armour trundling by. How is the Great Bustard doing?, has it adjusted to the plain. Frank.

Frank - Not familiar with 'Juilette' I am afraid so not sure where you watched the armour from. Did not get to see any Bustards when we were there - probably scared away by the tanks etc but apparently doing well.

Interestingly stopped in West Lavington on the way back for a bite to eat in the Churchill Arms in the village - can thoroughly recommend it - the food was great as was the service

Great shots Darren! Thanks for sharing them!

Did you take you know who there with you?

Mate - No! A family day out only although I did receive a text asking to be picked up from Truro station and taken there but he did not want to go into the village and only look from outside (shades of RIAT)

Hope all is good

Darren

Hi Darren https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=julie ... 66&bih=631

Juliette is the one with the three armoured vehs and landrover it is was a public road and when in use a soldier would
direct the civvy trafiic to stop.

[Knife 04]

Thanks for the additional responses guys

Nice set of images Darren, I use to be a frequent visitor to the Plain stayed with friends at West Lavington. I use to park up by
Juliette and watch the armour trundling by. How is the Great Bustard doing?, has it adjusted to the plain. Frank.

Frank - Not familiar with 'Juilette' I am afraid so not sure where you watched the armour from. Did not get to see any Bustards when we were there - probably scared away by the tanks etc but apparently doing well.

Interestingly stopped in West Lavington on the way back for a bite to eat in the Churchill Arms in the village - can thoroughly recommend it - the food was great as was the service

Great shots Darren! Thanks for sharing them!

Did you take you know who there with you?

Mate - No! A family day out only although I did receive a text asking to be picked up from Truro station and taken there but he did not want to go into the village and only look from outside (shades of RIAT)

Hope all is good

Darren

Hi Darren https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=julie ... 66&bih=631 Frank.

Thanks Frank - I know exactly where you are now - on the right when coming out of Tilshead village! At that cross roads (Jiliette) I took the left turn at the tank crossing and followed the track to Copehill Down (as you turn left you can see it on the horizon). Would advise probably a 4x4 for it but it is 'doable' in a car (company car made it OK )

Darren