Eyam

The Derbyshire village of Eyam has a history that goes back at least as far as the Anglo-Saxon period. Yet, despite that, and its many other attributes, it is chiefly remembered as a plague village. Exceptionally, Eyam put itself into voluntary quarantine when the Plague arrived from London in 1665. Their sacrifice was led by the vicar, William Mompesson – whose wife died in the outbreak – and Mompesson’s predecessor, Thomas Stanley. It is a very sad and moving story. In all, between 1665 and 1666, 261 people died of the plague in Eyam, out of an estimated population of about 700 – a death-rate of around 37%. Their names are recorded in a book in the church, which is worth a visit, and you can see the cottages where they lived. There is a great museum in the village as well as Eyam Hall, a small Jacobean manor house.