Tyneham is a small abandoned village around 5 miles west of Corfe Castle. The village dates back before medieval times and was a small thriving community with a Parish covering 3000 acres. The village was taken over by the military on the 17th November 1943 to be used as a training ground during World War 2. After the war the village remained under military control and has been used for the past 50 years as a target area for the tanks stationed at the nearby barrack.
Today most of the village lies in ruins with only the church and school remaining fully intact. The old manor house and small cottages have collapsed with only parts of their walls remaining and all repairs to the remains of the village are taken care of by the military.
Much of the area around the village is now covered in a rich variety of vegetation and wildlife with open fields on each side of the Purbeck hills and a area of woodland in the centre of the valley following a small steam down to the sea. The Purbeck hills which start at Swanage end around 1 mile west of Tyneham with a high cliff and long sandy beach below.