St Giles' Church, Imber

St Giles’ Church stands in the deserted village of Imber on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Built of dressed limestone in the late 13th century, it replaced an earlier church on the same site. The tower with its five pinnacles and the north and south aisles were added in the 14th century. Extensive rebuilding took place in the 19th century. Medieval wall paintings survive, including a set of 17th-century bell-ringing changes on the tower’s north wall. The church is a Grade I listed building and is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. The church is worth the journey because it is one of the few buildings still standing after the entire village was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1943. The civilian population was evicted to create a training ground for American troops before the invasion of Europe. After the war, villagers were never allowed to return, though the church and its graveyard remained under the Diocese of Salisbury. Restoration began in 2008 after lightning damaged the tower in 2003, and a new ring of six bells was installed in 2010. Visitors find a plain stone interior with no pews or fittings, allowing the medieval wall paintings to stand out clearly. The churchyard still receives occasional burials, such as Ray Nash in 2023, whose family left the village in 1936. Public access is limited to a few days each year, usually at Easter and in August, when open days and occasional concerts are held. At other times the site is closed for military training. The church remains a quiet witness to a vanished community.