Tyneham House

By James Langton · Updated May 2026

One of Purbeck's Finest Country Houses

Known locally as 'The Great House', Tyneham House was the largest building in the village — an Elizabethan manor built between 1563 and 1583 by Henry Williams, with a medieval wing surviving from the earlier house on the site.

Home to the Bond family for over 250 years, the house was surrounded by lawns, lime trees, palms and exotic plants — made possible by the sheltered valley micro-climate.

Tyneham House - Home of the Bond Family

The Bonds shaped almost every aspect of village life from their great house. Their influence stretched from the church (where they had a private transept) to the school they funded, and the estate provided work for many local families.

Extract from the Tyneham Documentary

Tyneham Manor House - After the Evacuation

Two members of the WAAF sitting outside The Great House

The RAF requisitioned the house in 1941 — two years before the village itself was evacuated — to billet members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) operating the radar station at nearby Brandy Bay. The Bond family moved out of their home of nearly 260 years and into Museum Cottage in the village. One WAAF, recalling her time there as a 19-year-old radar operator, remembered "a beautiful old house that had been in the Bond family for many, many generations" — the girls slept in bare rooms on iron bedsteads while the men camped under canvas in the village.

After the war, the building was boarded up and left largely untouched for years - only a few missing roof tiles hinting at slow neglect.

Tyneham House After the War

In the years following the war, many of the house's valuable fittings and furnishings were removed and reused elsewhere. Oak panelling went to Dorset County Museum, a doorway from the north porch found a new home at Athelhampton House, and the steps were relocated to Bingham's Melcombe.

Some stories even suggest prized items made their way across the Atlantic to homes in the United States.

Doorway from the North Porch - now at Athelhampton House

By the late 1960s, the house was deemed beyond repair and demolished - a decision many still regret, believing it could have been saved like the church and school. Hidden away in Great Wood, half a mile from the village, it was out of public sight, making the demolition easier to carry out quietly.

**The remains of The Great House before final demolition - looking like only a shadow of its former glory.**

The Remains of Tyneham House Today

What's left of Tyneham House is now hidden deep in Great Wood and strictly off-limits to the public. From certain distant viewpoints in winter (when foliage is thinner), you can just catch a glimpse of the ruins among the trees.

Tyneham House as it is today - hidden in the trees — **Tyneham House as it is today - hidden away in the trees and off-limits to the public.**

10 thoughts on “Tyneham House”

Dr H. D. Johnstone, FSA

Are you able, I wonder, to put me in touch (preferably by email) with any member of the Bond family formerly of Tyneham House? I am anxious, if I can, to establish the relationship between this branch of the Bond family and that of the Catholic Sir Henry Bond, an official at the court of King Charles II, and whose son, also Henry, fled to France with King James II in 1688. I am researching the latter who once owned an interesting collection of late seventeenth-century music manuscripts (and prints) which is now in the British Library and which, some time in the near future, I am hoping to write up for publication. This branch of the Bond family died out about the middle of the eighteenth century, but since the Tyneham branch also goes back to the early sixteenth century, I fancy there is a common link somewhere. I don't recall seeing the name Nathaniel among any of the papers relating to the Bonds of Streatham I have previously looked at, and the great house built here by Sir Henry Bond in the 1670s (if I remember rightly) was burned to the ground by anti-Catholic rioters in 1688. It may well be that there is no direct connection, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I shall be very appreciative of any help you are able to provide.

Yours sincerely,
Harry Johnstone, Emeritus Fellow in Music at St Anne's College, Oxford.

Michael Williams

Mr. Johnstone,

I'm not sure how long ago your comment was posted, so this may no longer be of interest to you. My uncle, Maj-Gen Mark Bond, son of the last owners of Tyneham, died in 2017, but I would be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Robert Lynn

This is very interesting. My Condolences to your Uncle Mark Bond passing in 2017. I did not know about the Tyneham House. Very interesting your connection and your Uncle's Connection. I am connected to you as well, I think. My 9th Great Grand Father was Sir George Bond. I live in Reno, Nevada USA at this time. You can view me by Googling Robert Lynn Artist Reno Nevada

Belinda caldwell

Highcliffe castle was in the same state of disintegration and yet someone with foresight and a love of history brought this back to its original glory. Why can this not be done with tyneham?

Roger

What an appalling story. No doubt all the senior army officers etc. are long gone, taking their ill gotten gains, so not too surprisingly, no-one can be held responsible. That's an all too familiar happening. Hopefully their families feel suitably ashamed (unfortunately pretty unlikely!).

Roger

Anthony Elliott

It would interesting to find out benefitted financially as a result of the decision to relocate much of the building to other houses around the country.

Sharon Vickers

I truly feel for the Bonds. I'm writing a book at the moment about haunted places and although this place isn't haunted with ghosts it is still a ghost town. As I've learned more and more about this place and the Bond family my heart goes out to them.

Palmela Brunelle

What a travesty to see what became of this great house. The Bond family must have felt their hearts being ripped out by the losing of their home. Is the home off limits because of the dangers the Army left or just to be protected? I just finished reading a novel named The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons. The author changed the name but it is about the history of this house. I did my own research because I fell in love with this village, cottages and the people. How sad that it was reduced to what it is now but to know it still stands is remarkable.

Regards,
Palmela De Souza Brunelle

S. Young

It's hard to believe what you read about this - how can you only compensate someone for the vegetables in their garden. They lost their homes - surely the government need to put this right and at least restore this wonderful house even if it's for weekend viewing or for the bond family to visit. We have a habit of going in taking what we want and giving very little back. I know we are not responsible for what went on through history but I think we should try and make things right if we can. This was not fair what happened in Tyneham. I feel for the Bond family. Were they able to start again in Dorset with their compensation. Do we really need a firing range now in this lovely setting when it could be moved elsewhere.

Michael Williams