Peak Experience

The church building dates from the 1200s AD.  There is little evidence of a church here any earlier than that, although there is an Anglo-Saxon cross in the churchyard (dating from the 800s) and a Norman font in the church.

 

A picture of eyam church

 

The church wall paintings inside date from around the 1600s.

Eyam church is most famous for the clergymen William Mompesson and Thomas Stanley.  Mompesson and Stanley led the village in a voluntary quarantine during the 1665–66 outbreak of plague.  This prevented infection from spreading outside the village and saved many lives.  Mompesson’s wife died in the outbreak and you can find her grave in the churchyard.

 

Rector Joseph Hunt was far less heroic.  While drunk, he went through a mock wedding to village publican’s daughter.  Although Hunt was already engaged to another woman, his bishop forced him to make the mock marriage legal.  His fiancée then sued him for breach of promise.  The resulting legal bills bankrupted Hunt to the extent that he had to spend the rest of his life hiding from creditors in the church vestry, where he eventually died.

 

The church is generally kept open.  There are a number of pub and teashops in the village.  Eyam museum, Eyam Hall and several interpretation panels all give more information about the village.  Eyam Hall has craftshops and a restaurant.