About
Eyam Museum tells the extraordinary story of the Derbyshire village that voluntarily quarantined itself during the plague of 1665-1666, a remarkable act of self-sacrifice that prevented the disease from spreading to surrounding communities in the Peak District. Located in the heart of this famous plague village, the museum provides a detailed and moving account of how an outbreak introduced through a flea-infested bundle of cloth from London devastated a community of around 350 people, killing at least 260 of them.
The museum is housed in a former silk weaving shed, itself a reminder of the industries that sustained the village in later centuries. Displays trace the arrival of the plague in September 1665, the courageous decision led by rector William Mompesson and his predecessor Thomas Stanley to seal off the village, and the harrowing months that followed as families lost multiple members to the disease. Personal stories of real villagers bring the human tragedy vividly to life, from the Riley family who lost six children in eight days to the survival of Marshall Howe who buried his own wife.
Beyond the plague narrative, the museum explores the wider history of Eyam from prehistoric times to the present day. Displays cover the village's medieval origins, its tradition of well-dressing, the lead mining industry, silk weaving, and the geology and landscape of the Peak District. The museum also houses a collection relating to the history of the Anglian and Saxon settlement of the area, including information about the famous Eyam Cross, one of the finest surviving Anglo-Saxon crosses in England.
Run by volunteers, the museum is an essential starting point for exploring the plague village itself, with its preserved plague cottages, boundary stones where food was exchanged for coins left in vinegar, and the open-air plague graves at the Riley farm.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings for a quiet museum visit, then explore the village and plague sites afterwards. Allow a full half-day for the combined experience.
💡 Visitor Tips
- Visit the museum first to understand the plague story, then spend time walking around the village to see the plague cottages, boundary stones, and Riley Graves in context.
- Allow at least half a day for the museum and village trail combined. The museum itself takes about an hour, but the outdoor sites add another 1-2 hours.
- Eyam is in the Peak District and best reached by car or the 65/66 bus from Sheffield or Bakewell. Parking is available in the village car park.
- The Riley Graves, where members of the Hancock family are buried in a field above the village, are a short but uphill walk. Wear sturdy footwear.
- The museum is run by volunteers and opening hours can vary, especially in winter. Always check the website before making a special journey.
- Combine with a visit to Eyam Hall, a fine seventeenth-century manor house just across the road from the museum, which has its own craft centre and grounds.
- The museum shop stocks excellent books about the plague and local history, including detailed walking guides to the plague sites and the surrounding Peak District.
- Well dressing week in late August is a wonderful time to visit, though the village is at its busiest. The museum provides context for this ancient Peak District tradition.
Highlights
The Plague Story Exhibition
The centrepiece of the museum is a detailed and moving exhibition telling the full story of the 1665-1666 plague that devastated Eyam. Beginning with the arrival of an infected bundle of cloth from London in September 1665, the exhibition traces the spread of bubonic plague through the village, the decision by rector William Mompesson and nonconformist minister Thomas Stanley to quarantine the community, and the harrowing fourteen months that followed.
Personal stories of real villagers are told through artefacts, documents, and reconstructions, including the Riley family who lost six children in just eight days.
The exhibition balances the tragedy with the courage and community spirit of the villagers who chose to contain the disease.
William Mompesson and the Quarantine
A dedicated section exploring the leadership of rector William Mompesson, who persuaded the villagers to voluntarily isolate themselves to prevent the plague spreading to nearby Bakewell and Sheffield. Mompesson established a boundary around the village that no one was to cross, arranged for the Earl of Devonshire at Chatsworth to supply food and provisions left at the boundary stones, and continued to minister to the dying throughout the outbreak.
The display examines how Mompesson's own wife Catherine died of the plague in August 1666, and how his actions have been both celebrated and debated by historians.
Original church records and contemporary accounts illuminate this extraordinary chapter of village leadership.
The Boundary Stones
An exhibition explaining the system of boundary stones that marked the limits of Eyam's self-imposed quarantine. Food and supplies from surrounding villages were left at these stones, and in return the Eyam villagers left coins soaked in vinegar as payment, the vinegar believed to disinfect the money.
The museum displays information about the surviving boundary stones that can still be visited around the village, including Mompesson's Well where supplies were left.
Maps and photographs guide visitors to these poignant outdoor monuments, making the museum an ideal starting point for a walking tour of the plague sites.
Medieval and Saxon Eyam
Displays exploring Eyam's history long before the plague, from its Anglo-Saxon origins to its medieval development as a lead mining community. The exhibition includes information about the famous Eyam Cross, an eighth-century Anglo-Saxon cross that stands in the churchyard of St Lawrence's Church and is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind in England.
The cross features intricate carved panels depicting biblical and decorative scenes.
The museum also covers the medieval village layout, the role of the church, and the lead mining industry that was the economic foundation of Peak District communities for centuries.
Collections
Eyam Museum's collections focus on the history of the village and surrounding Peak District area, with particular strength in material relating to the 1665-1666 plague. The collection includes original documents, parish records, and contemporary accounts of the outbreak, alongside artefacts, domestic objects, and personal items from plague-era families.
Beyond the plague, the museum holds collections relating to lead mining history, silk weaving, local geology, the Anglo-Saxon heritage of the area, and the folk tradition of well dressing.
Photographs, maps, and archive materials document village life from the seventeenth century to the present day. The handling collection allows visitors to engage with replica and robust original objects. The museum shop offers publications on the plague, local history, and the Peak District.
The Plague Village
The full story of the 1665-1666 plague in Eyam, from the arrival of infected cloth to the end of the outbreak, told through personal stories, artefacts, and documents.
📍 Main Gallery
Eyam Through the Ages
The wider history of Eyam from Anglo-Saxon times to the present, covering lead mining, silk weaving, well dressing, and community life in the Peak District.
📍 Heritage Gallery
Village Trail Guide
Introduction to the outdoor plague sites and heritage trail through the village, with maps, context, and personal stories for each location.
📍 Ground Floor
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.