This bench is in the Nation Trust property of Eyam Hall. Eyam is the village in the Derbyshire Peak District known as the “Plague Village”. In 1665 a bail of cloth containing fleas was sent from London, and tragically infected the whole village with Bubonic plague. Most households had at least one member of the house die in the following 12 months. Heroically the villagers decided to cut themselves off from the outside world in order not to spread the disease to their neighbours.

These days the village is well worth a visit and as well as the historic NT Eyam Hall there is a museum recording the tragic story.

This post was submitted by Steve Bradshaw.