Abandoned Wiltshire village may host its last funeral

Ray Nash might be the last person to be buried in Imber

A village that was evacuated 80 years ago will host what might be its last funeral.

The village of Imber in Wiltshire was cleared during World War Two to allow the area to be used to train troops.

Villagers were never allowed to return and it remains part of the Ministry of Defence's training area.

In January, the village church of St Giles will host the funeral of Ray Nash, who has died aged 87.

Kelvin Nash, 63, said his father Ray had always wanted to be laid to rest with his own father, Jim.

Photographs of the family on their visits show them standing in the doorway and windows of the family home, which is still standing

Ray Nash, who worked as a mechanic in the market town of Devizes and served in the army in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, left the village with his family after his father's death in 1936.

Despite not remembering his time living there, Ray always felt drawn back and would visit almost every year when open days were held.

"The fact that his father is buried there and he has always wanted to come back to the village and be reunited with his father, that was the most important thing to me," said Kelvin Nash.

Imber was cleared during World War Two to allow the area to be used to train troops

Kelvin Nash said he thought his father would be one of the last people, if not the last, to be buried in the village.

The last funeral in Imber was held 10 years ago.

"It is not exactly normal arrangements for a funeral, but this is what will happen," Kelvin Nash said.