The abandoned UK village which only opens to tourists once a year

HOLIDAYMAKERS are set to return to an abandoned village in the UK, and they’ll be making their way there on red double-decker buses.

The eerie village of Imber, on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, has stood empty for almost 80 years.

Imber was emptied of its residents during the Second World War in 1943 and was used to train Allied forces in preparation for D-Day.

But when the Second World War ended, the residents weren’t allowed to return.

To this day, the British Army still uses the village to train.

But tourists have been allowed to flock back to the village for one day every year on red open-top buses.

The bus service has been in operation since 2009, with this year’s visit set to take place on August 19, 2023.

Holidaymakers are picked up in Warminster in Wiltshire and run directly over military-owned roads to the historic site.

Buses are set to run every 15 minutes with tickets costing £10 for a full-paying adult and £2 for a child.

Ticket costs go towards supporting the upkeep of the village’s abandoned church, St.Giles’s Church, and the Royal British Legion.

Tourists and former residents will be able to explore some of the villages remaining buildings including an abandoned church, town hall, and a handful of houses.

Apart from the restored church, most of the buildings have been damaged during years of tank, armoured vehicle, and live fire training.

Despite the damage to the buildings, last year 2,000 holidaymakers visited the abandoned village for the day.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and Imber in the County of Wiltshire, said: “For the fourteenth year we are welcoming passengers aboard one of the quirkiest bus services in the country.”

“Everyone’s welcome; my colleagues and I are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday 19th August.”

But this isn’t the only place in the UK that’s been abandoned by its residents.

Residents of Hirta, one of the largest islands in the St Kilda archipelago, were evacuated from their homes in 1930.

The residents were evacuated on the HMS Harebell and were rehoused across Scotland in places like Oban, Inverness, and Fife.

While they never returned, the island has started welcoming tourists in recent years.

And another “ghost town” turned into a “boom town” attracting people from miles away.