23 Places Where Nature Has Reclaimed Abandoned Cities

16. Tyneham, England – A Village Left to the Birds

In December 1943, as World War II raged across Europe, the small English village of Tyneham was abruptly emptied. The British government requisitioned the land for military training exercises, promising residents they could return after the war. But the war ended, and the villagers were never allowed back—leaving Tyneham frozen in time. Today, this abandoned village on the Dorset coast is a hauntingly beautiful relic of the past, slowly being reclaimed by the wilderness. The old schoolhouse still stands, with children’s workbooks and chalkboards left exactly as they were in the 1940s. The stone cottages, once filled with life, now have collapsed roofs, with wildflowers growing where floors once lay. The church remains intact, though its pews are empty, and birds nest where congregations once gathered. Nature has taken full advantage of the absence of humans. Deer roam freely through the village, and birds fill the air with their calls. The fields that once supported farmers are now lush with wild grasses, and the sound of the waves from the nearby coastline completes the village’s serene yet eerie atmosphere.