The Post Office

Tyneham's Post Office was nestled in a charming row of terraced cottages known as Post Office Row (or simply "The Row").

These cottages originally had thatched roofs until 1881, when they were replaced with more durable stone tiles. The Post Office itself was the second building from the left in this picturesque line-up - a central hub for the village's daily life.

The building began life as a village shop in 1880, run by William Mores who sold provisions to the community. A decade later, in 1890, it also took on the duties of a Post Office — and a succession of shopkeepers and sub-postmasters kept it going right up until the evacuation of 1943:

• 1880–1890 — William Mores (shop only)
• 1890–c.1905 — Mrs Anne Mores (shop and post office from 1890)
• c.1905–1910 — Mrs Jane Pitman (née Tizzard)
• 1910–1915 — Harry Barnes
• 1915–1938 — Mrs Edith Barnes (later Mrs Edith Herd after remarrying in 1920)
• 1938–1942 — Mrs Gwendoline Driscoll

Three customers at a time produced a traffic jam, and when the counter was piled high with parcels waiting for collection, the postmistress was barely visible behind them. The shop had a wonderful blend of smells — bacon and cheese above all, with undertones of tea, liquorice, and peppermint. A cardboard box on the counter displayed needles and thimbles, cotton reels, buttons, and mending wool, all priced at a copper or two.

During the First World War, a telephone was installed in the back room of the Post Office - the only phone in the entire village. The nearest other telephone was at the coastguard station down at Worbarrow Bay. This made the Post Office even more vital, acting as the community's lifeline to the outside world.

In 1929, an iconic concrete telephone kiosk was erected right outside the Post Office, giving villagers easier access to calls without needing to visit the building itself.

The original kiosk was a distinctive white concrete design (a rare K1 model from the 1920s), not the familiar red one you see today. Tragically, it was accidentally destroyed in 1985 during filming of the movie Comrades (a historical drama about the Tolpuddle Martyrs). A replacement red phone box was later installed, preserving the spot's nostalgic charm.

Adding to Tyneham's mysterious atmosphere, the old telephone box has become the centre of local ghost stories. More than one visitor has reported hearing the phone inside ringing faintly - even though it's long disconnected and has no power source. These eerie tales only add to the village's haunting appeal as Dorset's famous "lost" community.

Today, the ruins of Post Office Row and the restored phone box stand as quiet reminders of Tyneham's once-bustling daily life - a place where letters were posted, news was shared, and the community stayed connected in an era before modern technology.