This is a scene from the village of Tyneham when it was the epitome of the English village.
This remote and picturesque community had a manor house, village school, shop, church and farms.
This evocative image of that rural idyll was taken before the First World War and shows people working in the fields.
Then in December 1943, with the Second World War at its height, the village was cleared of its inhabitants to provide a training ground for soldiers prior to the D-Day landings.
The village was temporarily evacuated and all of the 225 residents – mainly fisherman and farmers and their families – were given 30 days to leave.
The villagers never returned.
Today Tyneham is still an active Ministry of Defence site and part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School at Lulworth Ranges.
Visitors are permitted approximately 150 days a year and the church and school have exhibitions about the village and villagers.
A lot of the buildings are in various states of disrepair and to this day Tyneham remains a ghost town, a 1943 community frozen in time.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here