Eyam -- Plague Village [10min]

In 1666 the villagers of Eyam in Derbyshire were hit by bubonic plague and made the decision to quarantine themselves to stop it spreading to neighbouring villages. It worked -- the plague was confined to Eyam -- although 257 villagers lost their lives. There are still descendants of plague survivors living in the community today and the story has come to define the village. The playwright Sarah Nelson, who first visited Eyam at the age of ten, has written a musical about the plague village, Greater Love Hath No Man, focussing on the role of the vicar William Mompesson and his wife Catherine. The play was recently performed in Eyam church by the Oldham Theatre in Worksop with descendants of plague survivors in the audience -- and will be featured on BBC One TV on Good Friday. Jill Hopkins went to Eyam to watch the performance and meet the villagers.