MORE than 2,700 visitors curious to see one of Wiltshire’s ‘lost’ villages have helped to raise over £3,500 to help preserve Britain’s Grade I listed medieval churches.

Up to 2,783 people visited the ‘ghost’ village of Imber within the military training area on Salisbury Plain for four days over the Christmas and New Year festive period.

The money they spent on teas, coffees, cakes, biscuits and small gifts such as postcards, keyrings and fridge magnets will be donated to the Churches Conservation Trust.

Neil Skelton, custodian of the Grade I listed St Giles Church at Imber, was “delighted” with the amount raised from the open days, which is likely to be between £3,500 and £4,000.

The church belongs to the Churches Conservation Trust, the national charity protecting around 350 of the UK’s historic churches.

The Trust is partly funded by the Church of England and the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport.

“The open days always attract lots of visitors, and this helps us to conserve the 350 churches for future generations.”

Mr Skelton, from Wilton, has been the custodian of St Giles since retiring from the Trust 15 years ago. “I could not do it all alone now. I am lucky to have a good team of volunteers.”

The open days from December 30 to January 2 enabled visitors to tour the church and then look around the deserted village, which was abandoned by its inhabitants in November 1943.

They were ordered out by the Government so that Imber could be used as a military training area for American Army troops taking part in the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, in June 1944.

After the Second World War ended, they hoped to go back but were not allowed to and Imber is still used by the Ministry of Defence as a military training area for close quarter combat.

Dates for this year’s open dates have yet to be finalised but the village is expected to be open again for visitors during the Easter period from April 7-10.

One of the events being planned is a University of the Age of Enlightenment (U3A) concert at St Giles Church on Easter Monday, April 10.

The Imber Bus open day, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the country, is most likely to take place on Saturday, August 19.