What an amazing place!
It was hard to decide where to go during our week in the Peak District but I am so pleased that we decided to visit Eyam – the plague village.
We started at the museum…along with around 30 schoolkids! It was a bit noisy to say the least! Entrance fees were £1.75 adults & £1.25 for seniors.
The museum shows the story of how the plague started and its tragic conclusion. It is so interesting and gives facts such as how many people from each family died and the moving stories of individuals e.g. one woman buried her husband & 6 children in 8 days. There was also information about the symptoms & various treatments (some were definitely dodgy!) that were available to treat people suffering from the plague. The museum is on 2 floors (via very narrow stairs) so may not be suitable for people who find stairs difficult. The space between the displays is fairly limited so this would cause issues for a wheelchair user too. There is a “history trail” in the village that you can follow and see the graves of some victims which are virtually in a back garden of a house!! The local church has a “Plague Window” of stained glass and there is also the tomb of Katherine Mompession (the rector’s wife) which is used as a focal point every year when a ceremony to remember the victims takes place.
There are a few designated walks – some suitable for wheelchair users – which are between 30 mins and an hour. The village also has Eyam Hall which is a National Trust property and is definitely worth a look .
Although the plague village has a really sad & tragic tale -we were so pleased that we visited Eyam .It’s well worth a visit….
Check out the website for more info www.eyam.org.uk.
