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Places to stay in Eyam
It's hard to imagine that the quiet village of Eyam, off the A623 in Derbyshire, could have such a fascinating, yet tragic story to tell. Eyam is most famous for the villagers' sacrifices during the Great Plague in 1665-66. Before the plague struck, there were almost 350 inhabitants of Eyam. However, 259 villagers from 76 families, died between September 1665 and October 1666. The plague was brought unintentionally to Eyam from London in a parcel of cloths sent to George Vicars. He was a travelling tailor who at the time was lodging with Mrs Copper and her two sons in a cottage now known as Plague Cottage, 200 metres from Eyam Hall. The parcel arrived from plague infested London in September 1665. George contracted the deadly disease, died four days later and was buried on September 7th 1665. 15 days latter Mrs Cooper's son Edward died and by the end of September another four villagers were dead. October saw the death of a further twenty-three and some families started to leave the village. William Mompesson, the rector of Eyam, recognising the dangers of the infection spreading led the villages in a self-imposed quarantine of their village, allowing none to enter or leave. This heroic feat achieved their objective of stopping the virus spreading. Village life in Britain has changed considerably in the past fifty years, and many villages have emptied as people moved away to the towns. Eyam however still has a vibrant community and thriving businesses. Eyam has links with industry, being a worldwide centre for the production of fluorspar, a material of great value in smelting and open hearth furnaces. There are a great number of activities too, including a half-marathon of incredible difficulty and a splendid pantomime. It is a great place to visit.
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