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In the first half of the twentieth century, Tyneham would have been an idyllic countryside village, only a couple of miles from the sea and the delightful Worbarrow Bay.

All changed towards the end of 1943, when the village of Tyneham and 7,500 acres of surrounding heathland and chalk downland were commandeered by the War Office, for use as firing ranges for training troops. Altogether, 252 people were displaced. The villagers were told that this measure was to be temporary for the duration of World War II, but in 1948 the army placed a compulsory purchase order on the land and it has remained in use for military training ever since. The villagers were not allowed to return to their homes, but were given new accommodation.

The village of Tyenham has remained uninhabited for nearly seventy years. In 1975, after complaints from tourists and locals, the Ministry of Defence began opening the village and footpaths across the ranges at weekends and throughout August. The church and school have been restored and act as a museum; many of the other buildings stand in various states of disrepair.

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