The Imber bus.

On paper, Imber is a perfect dark, destination.
Requisitioned by the military
At the heart of Salisbury Plain
Never given back

Abandoned.

A lost village.

Now used for military practice.
At the heart of the live firing range.

Many people visit Imber on the Imber bus day.
The counter in the church porch read: 1443 visitors.
Cars line the road.

Families..
Push pushchairs and small infants past the danger signs and inside the houses....
Which are just empty shells.

Imber treated as a film set.

This year I still haven't really got all of it sussed...
But I understand a lot more than I did.

Last year I didn't get any of it...
This year I understood that Imber on the Saterday closest to the 20th of August, is a day dedicated to buses.

The Imber bus walkthrough - Part one.

The buses begin their journey across the plain from Warminster train station.

There is plenty of car park space before you reach the station, turn left off Station road.
Toilets are also to be found here.

At the station there will be many buses.

1. All buses go through Imber except buses going to Chitterne - The Chittern bus travels via Knook Camp.
2. All destinations can be accessed via the Gore Cross Interchange.

Gore Cross to New Zealand Camp.

The bus trundles up a narrow road towards a lay-by, and a heap of earth, beyond which there is some kind of camp being built:

Two buildings demolished and replaced with 11 multi-functional structures, known as ‘stone tents’.The new facilities will provide a modern, multi-purpose training camp that can be used as a Forward Operating Base or to replicate a terrorist camp, refugee camp and a Non-Governmental Organisation Base, or as part of a complex manoeuvre environment. It will also provide an exercise base for troops training in the local area.

A bridleway is sign posted on the opposite side of the road.
Though windswept and bleak, this is an excellent place to picnic.
I assume a bridleway to be free of unexploded ordnance...

We waited for the bus to return
It didn't....

The next bus stopped at a lay-by further down the road and turned around there.
disheartened, we walked back to Gore Cross.

~END of walkthough. TBC.

Vado film.
Begins at Warminster car park, one or two buses parked here.
Then the buses at the station
Over the plain.
Then to New Zealand.

We return to Imber
Then back over the plain towards Warminster.