This is the eeriest of ghost towns I have ever heard of:
http://www.weymouth.here-on-the.net/tyneham.html

What did they do to this island that people are banned forever?


"Rodney" wrote in message
...

Ten minutes in the "life" of a post office helped make
it a famous landmark on the philatelic front. For,
prior to its recent opening it had remained closed
for the past 30 years. And probably would've
remained that way if it were not for a group of
local village folk who wanted to echo a protest!

The post office, situated at Tyneham, a Dorset village,
is in a terrace of decaying houses. These properties
were taken over by the War Department in 1943.
It became too much for some folk to bear seeing
such buildings neglected and still under control of
the Army. So they formed a group. Called themselves
the 1943 Committee.

Braving warning signs and the dangers of unexploded
shells, they cut through barbed wire and set up shop
selling postcards from the old post office stores.
Philatelic holidaymakers were in their element buying
up post-card views of the area stamped
"Posted at Tyneham Post Office".
However, brisk business came to a standstill
after just 10 minutes of opening, when the protesters
agreed to leave. (The original inhabitants were ordered
to leave six days before Christmas 1943).
When all was calm again, police removed a sign stating
"Tyneham Post Office Reopens After 30 Years".
And troops started replacing the posts and fencing
around the shop.

Apparently ten square miles of these ranges were
recommended for release to the people by Lord Nugent's
Defence Lands Report. And as committee chairman'
Mrs Mavis Caver put it "We did this to show Lord Carrington
that the Government must accept the report and
conserve this land as a huge natural wilderness
owned by the National Trust".

It's nice to know that, when you get right down to it,
the ordinary post office can play such an important
part in community life!

"Bird Talk" by Shirley Channack 1973