About 8 years ago I visited Dorset, meandering around looking at various neolithic antiquities.
I can't actually remember where I stayed but it was deep in the, obviously, very rural area near East and West Holme, Lulworth area. Lovely little place.
Anyway, it was a hot summer, and I spent a fair bit of time driving and walking through many of these beautiful little villages...absolutely picture postcard beautiful- rustic, pastoral little thatched cottages and rolling farmland. Hot lazy sun beating down...then it hit me - everywhere was silent...and there was nobody there. I genuinely don't recall seeing anyone as I walked through these tiny villages and hamlets...Blazing hot...no sound except birds and the occasional car. No lawn mowers, radios, tvs, kids laughing...just a still, hot, silence. Wouldn't say it was creepy...just felt very odd, eerie, strange. Felt alien.
I'm sure there is a perfectly good reason for this. I assume many of those properties were second homes for wealthy Londoners, or commuter houses, again, for wealthy London folks. So, all these little villages seemed empty...deserted...