ONE of Wiltshire’s most intriguing locations is open to the public until January 3.

Imber, which has a population of zero, sits in the middle of the Ministry of Defence’s training zone on Salisbury Plain, around eight miles from Westbury.

In December 1943 its inhabitants were told by the army that they had just a month to pack up all of their belongings and move somewhere else so that American soldiers could prepare for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War.

The tarmac roads to the village from Bratton, Gore Cross, Heytesbury and Warminster will be open until 8am on Tuesday, January 3 as all military activity is suspended until then.

Some of these roads are poor tarmac and are not maintained to public road standards with some pot holes, so care needs to be taken.

St Giles Church in the heart of the village will be open to visitors. For details visit www.imberchurch.org.uk