Tyneham Village Open Days: Daily 19 Dec to 3 Jan 2027

Tyneham, the Purbeck village emptied for the army in 1943, is open to visitors most weekends and during set holiday periods, and closed whenever the Lulworth Ranges are in use. For the rest of 2026 that means this weekend (7 to 8 November) and the weekends of 21 to 22 and 28 to 29 November (it is shut on 14 to 15 November), then every day from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The village gate opens at 9am and closes at dusk, and the exhibitions in the old school and the church open from 10am to 4pm.

This page covers when Tyneham is open, how to get there without a postcode, the car park, what you can see, the walk down to Worbarrow Bay, and what is not there (no shop, no drinking water, no phone signal). Dates come from the Ministry of Defence’s published access times and November firing programme, read on 7 November 2026; visitor details from the Tyneham Opening Group.

When is Tyneham open?

Tyneham sits inside the Ministry of Defence’s Lulworth Ranges, so the rule is simple: when the army is firing, the gate is shut. The MoD’s 2026 access times open the village and the range walks every weekend except a handful through the year, plus daily over Christmas, Easter, the May bank holiday, the late May half term and the summer holidays.

What is left of 2026:

On an open weekend, the range gates open as close as possible to 4.30pm on Friday, once firing has finished and the ranges have been cleared, and stay open until 8am on Monday. The Tyneham village gate opens at 9am on non-firing days and shuts at dusk. The MoD publishes a monthly Lulworth firing notice with the exact times, and dates can change at short notice, so ring the range office on 01929 404714 before a long drive.

The 2027 calendar had not been published when we checked. In 2026 the pattern was most weekends open, with about six closed weekends spread through the year, and daily opening over the school holidays.

A short history

In November 1943 the people of Tyneham and the surrounding farms were told to leave within 28 days, because the land was needed for training troops before D-Day. According to the Tyneham Opening Group, the last residents left on 17 December 1943, believing they would one day return. They never did: the army kept the land after the war, and it is still part of the Lulworth Ranges today.

What to see

• The Row: the line of roofless stone cottages, with the old-style telephone kiosk outside. The phone in it has no connection.
• The school: the village schoolroom, now one of the indoor exhibitions.
• The church: the village church, with an exhibition about Tyneham and its people.
• Tyneham Farm: the restored barn with a further exhibition, close to the toilets and picnic tables.
• Worbarrow Bay: the beach at the end of the valley (see below).

Tyneham House and the outlying hamlets of Baltington, North and South Egliston and Povington are in the restricted zone and closed to the public. The rectory and some cottages are fenced off for safety.

Walking to Worbarrow Bay

From the car park, a track follows the valley about a mile down to Worbarrow Bay, a shingle and rock beach under Worbarrow Tout. It is an easy walk on a good surface, downhill all the way there and uphill back. There are no toilets at Worbarrow, so use the ones at Tyneham Farm first.

Stronger walkers can climb from the bay onto the range walks: west to Flower’s Barrow hill fort and on to Mupe Bay and Lulworth, or east along the coast path towards Kimmeridge. On the range walks, stay between the yellow-topped posts at all times. The area is a live firing range, and anything metal you see on the ground should be left alone and reported. The MoD also warns visitors to keep clear of the northern half of the beach at Mupe Bay because of rockfall.

Getting there and parking

Tyneham has no postcode and is poorly signposted, and there is no mobile signal in the valley, so plan the route before you lose coverage. The Opening Group gives directions for each approach:

• From Wareham and Poole: take the A351 Wareham bypass towards Swanage, turn right for Creech, Steeple and Kimmeridge, climb Grange Hill past the viewpoint, then turn right onto the road signed “Tyneham Lulworth via Army Ranges”, and after a third of a mile turn left down into the valley.
• From Wool and Dorchester: take the B3071 towards West Lulworth, turn left on the B3070 towards East Lulworth, then right before Lulworth Castle for “Corfe Castle via Whiteway Hill”, and follow the Tyneham sign down into the valley.

Some of these roads, including Grange Hill and the Whiteway road, close when the army is firing; on open days they are open.

Parking: there is a car park close to the village. There is no fixed charge, but the Opening Group encourages a £4 donation per car, which pays for conservation work in the village. Do not leave valuables on show.

What to bring

• Food and water. There is no shop, café or drinking water. A privately run refreshments trailer, the Forgotten Salt Pig, may be open in the picnic area, typically from 10am to 3.30pm; do not rely on it.
• A bag for your litter. There are no bins.
• Your dog, under control. Dogs are welcome, but there are no dog bins, so take bags home.
• A paper map or downloaded route, because your phone will not have signal.

There are toilets next to Tyneham Farm, two minutes’ walk from the car park. Photography is allowed throughout; metal detectors are not.

If you are making a day of it, Tyneham pairs well with Kimmeridge Bay next door, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door to the west, and Corfe Castle to the east. When the ranges are shut, the road between Lulworth and Kimmeridge can be closed too, so check before planning a circuit. More ideas in our walks in Dorset guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tyneham open today? Only on non-firing days: most weekends, plus daily over Christmas, Easter, the May bank holiday, late May half term and the summer holidays. It is closed on 14 to 15 November 2026 and open every day from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Ring 01929 404714 to confirm.

What time does Tyneham open? The village gate opens at 9am on open days and closes at dusk. The school and church exhibitions are open from 10am to 4pm. On open weekends the ranges open from about 4.30pm on Friday until 8am on Monday.

How much is parking at Tyneham? There is no fixed charge. The Tyneham Opening Group encourages a £4 donation per car towards conserving the village.

Can you take dogs to Tyneham? Yes, if they are kept under control. There are no dog waste bins, so take bags home.

How far is Worbarrow Bay from Tyneham? About a mile down the valley track from the car park, an easy walk with a climb on the way back.

Why was Tyneham abandoned? In November 1943 residents were given 28 days to leave so the army could use the land for training before D-Day. The last left on 17 December 1943, and the land has stayed part of the Lulworth Ranges ever since.

Sources

• Ministry of Defence, Lulworth range walks and Tyneham village access times 2026, and Lulworth November 2026 firing times (GOV.UK), read 7 November 2026.
• Tyneham Opening Group (tynehamopc.org.uk): history, parking, directions and visitor FAQ pages, read 7 November 2026.