Places to see: A Walk through Eyam

Eyam Village

Eyam is well known as the village that contained "The Plague", and most of its history surrounds those dreadful events of 1665 and 1666. In September 1665 a parcel arrived from London (a city that was rife with plague at the time); this parcel contained clothing and was ridden with contaminated fleas. As soon as the people of Eyam realised what was happening, they took the decision to quarantine themselves in their village and no one was allowed in or out - even church services were banned until the Plague had run its course. Out of 360 inhabitants, 260 died - but the deadly disease wasn't passed on to anywhere else.

There is lots to learn about Eyam in the museum and it is only £2.50 to get in.

Walk along the main road of Eyam and you can see the homes where whole families died.

Along the main street you will find Eyam Hall and Craft Centre - which is administered by the National Trust. There is a delightful courtyard, with several craft type shops, toilets, a cafe and of course the National Trust office. There are free guided tours of the village twice a day run by extremely informative volunteers - these last about 90 minutes and are well worth joining to discover more about the history of the village.

Leading on through the courtyard - you come to Eyam Hall, a Jacobean style manor house which is run by the National Trust. It began life as a wedding present for John Wright and his new wife Elizabeth in 1671 and has been in the family ever since - it is still owned by the family but was leased to the National Trust in 2013. This Grade 2 listed building is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from March to November as well as bank holidays. It has undergone various renovations throughout the years and is a mixture of different themes.

There is an unusual pair of 17th century wooden settles either side of the fireplace - these have cabinets attached which were used for storing bacon and cured meats in a dry environment.

Outside there is a delightful walled garden, with colourful herbaceous borders; but the most striking feature is the Ballroom - a stone building in one corner of the garden, that was used to entertain guests.