More than 5,000 visitors have helped raise money for charities after going on a bus trip to experience Wiltshire’s best-known ‘ghost’ village.

The annual bus service to the abandoned Wiltshire village of Imber took place in bright sunshine on Saturday, August 17, with queues forming everywhere as visitors scrabbled to get onboard.

The organisers, Imberbus, headed up by Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Imber in the County of Wiltshire, run the annual event with up to 38 old and new Routemaster traditional red London buses and guest vehicles, including an AEC B-Type first used in 1911.

Visitors take a close look at the Royal Blue, a 1951 Bristol coach that used to travel from London to the west coast, and a1960 Routemaster bus that operated in London. Visitors take a close look at the Royal Blue, a 1951 Bristol coach that used to travel from London to the west coast, and a1960 Routemaster bus that operated in London. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Queues rapidly formed at Warminster railway station as visitors piled on board the buses to explore the abandoned village of Imber and other points on Salisbury Plain.

Lord Hendy said: “I can’t tell you how much money we have made because we haven’t counted I yet. When I know the money I can tell you how many people we took.

“We had a great day out and took thousands of people and it was a lovely day. Everybody enjoyed themselves. It was an absolutely gorgeous day.”

Visitors in their thousands explored Imber after a trip from Warminster on traditional red London buses. Visitors in their thousands explored Imber after a trip from Warminster on traditional red London buses. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Imberbus first started in 2009 and has since run an annual service to the hidden ghost village of Imber, uninhabited since 1943, when the Ministry of Defence ordered around 150 residents to leave ahead of training for the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy.

Neil Skelton, a custodian of the historic St Giles’s Church, said: “We logged 3,100 people but there must have been 5,000 plus.  It was a record number for one day and a very successful.”

Visitors queued up the pathway to get into the 13th century church where they could obtain refreshments and browse the merchandise on sale for mementos of their trip.

A trip down memory lane for Devizes couple Steve and Cathy Chappell, who used to ride on London bus Routemaster en route to school in North Sutton in Surrey.A trip down memory lane for Devizes couple Steve and Cathy Chappell, who used to ride on London bus Routemaster en route to school in North Sutton in Surrey. (Image: Trevor Porter)

They included Devizes couple Steve and Cathy Chapell, who used to ride on London bus Routemaster en route to school in North Sutton in Surrey.

Steve, 68, said: “It is a wonderful place to visit. For anybody who has not been there, I would recommend it.

“We moved to Devizes from Surrey two years ago but didn’t manage to get to Imber last year so we decided to go this year.

“The bus trip alone was really nostalgic for us because Cathy and I used to use buses like those to get to and from school.”

Jo Hammersley used to ride on London Routemaster buses when she worked in the city in the 1980s and 1990s but now lives in Bradford on Avon. Jo Hammersley used to ride on London Routemaster buses when she worked in the city in the 1980s and 1990s but now lives in Bradford on Avon. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Jo Hammersley, 58, from Bradford on Avon, was also visiting Imber for the first time, and said: “I used to use the old London Routemaster buses when I worked in London in the late 1980s and 1990s.

“It was a really hot day and there were lots of queues but I really enjoyed it.”

Visitors were entertained by the Bratton Silver Band, who played in the St Giles Churchyard, while some families had brought their own food and drink for a picnic.

Imber sits deep in the heart of Salisbury Plain, the UK’s biggest military training area and is only open to visitors on certain days of the year.

Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Imber in the County of Wiltshire, coordinator of Imberbus, checks in with the bus driver of the 1961 London bus Routemaster at Imber village. Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Imber in the County of Wiltshire, coordinator of Imberbus, checks in with the bus driver of the 1961 London bus Routemaster at Imber village. (Image: Trevor Porter)

The Imberbus trips are organised by Lord Hendy and his team with help from volunteers and vehicles from about 20 different bus operators across England.

Last year, the event saw more than 4,000 people boarding the buses to the abandoned village, raising over £38,000 for charities in the process.

Visitors are also encouraged to visit Warminster and surrounding villages, including Chitterne, Tilshead and Market Lavington for village hall cream teas.

Imber will be open again for visitors over the Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 24 to 26.