IMBER village and other isolated locations on Salisbury Plain will be included in the return of the annual heritage ‘Imberbus’ service this Saturday (August 20).

The bus will run from Warminster across to Imber, which was evacuated in 1943 to provide an exercise area for American troops preparing for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War.

Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail and member of the Imberbus organising team, said: “Other than for a few days each year, Imber has been out of bounds ever since it was evacuated in 1943.

“The church however remains and has many interesting features. The bus service across the plain not only allows people to see these fascinating areas but also see the expanse of the plain from the top of a double deck bus.

“The bus service, which is operated by iconic red London double deck Routemaster buses, was initially introduced as a one off experiment in 2009, but was so popular that it has become an annual fundraising event.

“Last year it raised £8,000 which was split between the Imber Church fund and the Royal British Legion.”

Buses will leave from Warminster Station every half hour from 9.45am onwards and will travel across Salisbury Plain over roads that are normally closed to the general public to the deserted village of Imber, where the church will be open and refreshments available.

The buses will then continue on across the plain to villages, as well as serving other isolated locations rarely visited by the public, such as New Zealand Farm Camp and Brazen Bottom.

Tickets for the journey from Warminster to Imber cost £2 each way, or passengers can pay for a £10 day ticket which will allow them to spend the entire day exploring the area from the top deck of a bus.

Further information and details of the timetable can be found at www.imberbus.wordpress.com