Imber Ghost Village Hauntings
A village evacuated during World War II and never returned, now haunted by the spirits of displaced villagers who never came home.
Imber village sits in the heart of Salisbury Plain, a settlement dating back over 1,000 years that was abruptly evacuated in December 1943. Residents were given just 47 days’ notice to leave their homes so the area could be used for American forces training for the D-Day invasion. They were promised they could return after the war, but the military never relinquished control. Today, the virtually abandoned village remains within a military training area, accessible to the public only a few days per year, and has gained a reputation as one of Britain’s most haunted ghost villages.
The most frequently reported phenomenon is the sound of church bells ringing from St Giles Church, the only building still maintained and used for occasional services. Visitors and soldiers training on the plain have heard the bells at odd hours, even when the church is locked and empty. Apparitions of former villagers have been seen in the windows of derelict cottages and walking along the overgrown streets, appearing confused or searching for something. Witnesses describe seeing an elderly woman in 1940s clothing standing near the old manor house, believed to be the spirit of a resident who died of heartbreak after being forced to leave. The phantom sounds of daily village life—children playing, dogs barking, conversations in the street—have been reported by military personnel conducting exercises in the area.
Perhaps most poignant are reports of sobbing heard near the former school and cottages, attributed to the trauma of the forced evacuation. Some soldiers refuse to train near Imber at night, claiming they’ve seen lights in windows of abandoned buildings and heard shouting in the empty streets. During the rare open days when descendants and visitors are allowed to enter, many report feeling overwhelming sadness and sensing they are not alone among the crumbling walls. The village church maintains a book of remembrance for former residents, and some believe the spirits remain because they’re still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled—waiting to come home. Imber stands as a melancholic reminder of lives disrupted by war, and locals believe the ghosts won’t rest until the village lives again.