The Rectory

The Rectory was one of the grander buildings in Tyneham – a substantial home easily large enough for a Victorian family with several children and servants. It stood close to the church and served as the heart of parish life for generations of rectors.

Canon Christopher Wordsworth lived here for many years, but one of the last rectors to serve the parish was Reverend Friend (pictured left). As Lillian Bond recalled in her book, the living was considered a good one, but it still required the rector to have some private income. Without a carriage or trap, Mrs Wordsworth – like many village housewives – would regularly walk the twelve miles to Wareham and back for shopping, pushing a pram loaded with goods on top of the baby.

The Rectory itself was an elegant building with a large conservatory filled with exotic plants and even peach trees, plus a private tennis court in the grounds – small luxuries that set it apart from the cottages.

However, the house had one persistent problem: its roof was built at far too shallow a pitch. Heavy storms would drive rain straight into the building, causing frequent leaks. Despite hundreds of pounds spent on repairs over the years (a considerable sum at the time), the problem never fully went away – after every fix, new leaks would soon appear.

Tragedy struck in the 1960s, long after the village evacuation, when a fire broke out. One of the few farmers still allowed access to the valley had been storing hay and straw inside the building. Somehow it ignited, and fire engines had to be called from Wareham. The damage was severe, leaving the once-elegant house badly scarred.

Today, the Rectory still stands – though in a sad state of repair. Visitors can carefully walk through some of the ground-floor rooms and get a sense of its former grandeur, but parts at the rear have been cordoned off due to the risk of collapse. It remains a poignant reminder of the village's lost domestic life.