Virginia navigated us to Tyneham, relying on directions from the website as it said it was the grid as far as Satnavs were concerned. We were competing with cycle races, and particularly joggers on the narrow approach road down into Tyneham itself. This Saturday was drizzly, the worst weather of the holiday as it turned out.

People were evicted from Tyneham in 1943 for the Army to use the area for D-Day practice, but despite politicians' promises they were never allowed to return. I wanted to see Tyneham as a real place somehow cut adrift from time in 1943, but several things contended against feeling this when there. To my surprise a lot of people were there gawping (I guess you say we were gawping too). There wasn't the feeling of finding something lost by yourself. The buildings are empty shells for the most part with display panels on them, not slowly mouldering ruins overgrown by nature or miraculously preserved as they were in December 1943. The telephone box is nice (but a reconstruction!) The school room is good to see, atavistic look back to the days of rook pies and times tables.

Virginia and I then headed to Corfe Castle (fun parking) where we did a small model village (self referential as it had a model of itself!) then had lunch at the National Trust tea room before taking a gander at the ruins of Corfe Castle. We almost did Durdle Door on the way back but rain, distance, car park costs and that Virginia would stay in the car dissuaded me. We dined in Dorchester on a busy Saturday night, no room at Zizzis in Brewery Square but we ate at Wagamamas, Japanese fusion cuisine which I enjoyed but Virginia didn't so much.