What modern life is like in famed ‘plague village’
EYAM HAS SEEN A RECENT BOOM IN POPULARITY
DERBYSHIRE’S Peak District has plenty to offer the world – stunning countryside, outdoor activities and the chance to get away from city life.
But it’s also full of history and nowhere showcases this quite like the world-famous “plague village” of Eyam.
The settlement is known for sacrificing itself to save others during the Great Plague of 1665 – something that has seen a resurgence in interest amid the Covid pandemic.
Tucked away at the end of the A623 through Stoney Middleton, this picturesque village belies its sometimes grim history.
However, it’s also a showcase of the best of humanity – such as kindness and sacrifice.
As the Plague ravaged the small settlement – brought by fleas in a bundle of cloth from London sent to the local tailor – villagers cut themselves off from neighbouring settlements to stop the spread of what was the worst outbreak of the plague since the Black Death of 1348.
Their brave act of quarantine helped to save thousands of lives nearby, halting the transmission of the plague to neighbouring towns and villages – but it was not without its own tragedy.
Of the 800 inhabitants of Eyam at the time, there were 260 deaths in the 14 months that the disease devastated England.
The villagers’ stoic sacrifice has not been forgotten and is commemorated with plaques dotted around the village informing visitors about the people who perished in their homes.
Eyam Museum offers tourists an opportunity to learn all about the village and the important role that it played in the management of what was a devastating epidemic.
But life in Eyam is very different now, even though we are living through a pandemic the likes of which none of us has witnessed.
This is part of what has helped Eyam’s popularity to skyrocket in recent months, as tourists and visitors have been gaining a new and better understanding of what life may have been like for the 17th-century villagers.
“It’s quite ironic isn’t it, you know, with the plague?” Says Louis Price, 19, who has been working at his mum’s cafe in Eyam for the past four years.
Louis says that the village has always been popular with tourists, who love it for its history, but he said that more and more people have been coming to visit recently.
He said: “At the moment, because of Covid, more people are choosing to come on holiday to the country – it’s meant that more people have been coming to visit.
“When we’ve been open, we’ve been busier than we thought and we found that, even when restrictions were in place, quite a few people were still coming out, even from places like Manchester and London.”
Louis said that his mum’s cafe, Village Green, has proven to be so popular with tourists that they regularly come back just for another delicious coffee and home-made scone.
He added: “I’ve been told by the regulars that we’re more than a cafe: we’re like a hub of the community. We are always here for the locals.
“People love it, I think everyone loves its history and there’s so much to do, there are all the walks.
“People come to Eyam because it’s the historical plague village, there are only three cafes but the history is what they come for.”
Further along the street, past some of the stone-built cottages, is Church Street Stores, Eyam’s local village shop.
Sam Slater, 51, has lived in the village for 30 years and she said that her favourite thing about living here is the community spirit - which has not been diminished by rising tourism.
Sam said: “It’s just very friendly and everybody looks out for each other. We need the tourists, it is a tourist village and some people don’t like it but some do. In this line of work, we need the tourists.”
Sam’s boss, Ashley Staniforth, said that he has noticed an uptick in tourism since the Covid pandemic hit. He said: “It seems to have gone that way, we sell lots of Eyam beers with plague names and that seems to be very popular.”
And Sam said that, despite living in the village for decades, the history still interests her. She said: “It fascinates me and I live next to two graves, I just find it quite fascinating.” Tash Rothwell, 21, who works at the nearby Eyam Tea Rooms, agrees. She said: “It’s lovely, it’s got lots of history so it’s quite fascinating and it’s good for the tourists, so we’re really busy.
“We get a lot of visitors who come for the graves and the well, so it is good for us. It is a lovely village and has a community feel to it, everyone knows each other so I’ve gotten to know the regulars and people who live in the village even though I don’t live here.”
People love it, I think everyone loves its history and there’s so much to do.
Louis Price