The village, and 7,500 acres (30 km²) of surrounding heathland and chalk downland around the Purbeck Hills, were commandeered just before Christmas 1943 by the then War Office (now Ministry of Defence) for use as firing ranges for training troops. Approximately 200 people were displaced, leaving a notice on the church door:
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This measure was supposed to be temporary for the duration of World War II, but in 1948 the army placed a compulsory purchase order on the land and it has remained in use for military training ever since. Though littered with scrap used as targets, and subject to regular shelling, the land has become a haven for wildlife as it has been free from farming and development. In 1975, after complaints from tourists and locals, the M.O.D. began opening the village and footpaths across the ranges at weekends and throughout August. Many of the village buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been damaged by shelling, and in 1967 the then Ministry of Works pulled down the Elizabethan manor house, though the church remains intact. The church and school house have been preserved as museums.