Today On Bike Tours Of Derbyshire: Eyam
Today's ride took me over the 100km mark, with me covering 102km, avoiding bank holiday motorbike tossers and over-zealous sports car owners. (note: avoid Matlock Bath. Always.)
Yes that's right, today I went to the most Goth village in the world: The Plague village - Eyam!
Anyone who grew up in Derby knows the story, but for those of you who aren't locally born and inbred, I shall tell you the story. The year is 1665. The country is being ravaged by a new super-disease, Bubonic Plague II, killing 1 in 4 people it infects (Bubonic plague I hit in the 13th C. but was not received well, chalking up fewer deaths). London is the worst hit but with people fleeing the city, they spread the disease, seemingly almost deliberately, to Derby. The village folk of Eyam bravely fought the plague with pitchforks and mead. This proved unsuccessful so instead, they chose to isolate themselves from anyone else and all die. Not a vastly successful tactic, but in doing so, saved the whole of Derbyshire.
The lasting effect of this morbid episode in local history is we have an awesome plague-village attraction. For example, the sign post looked like something out of Sleepy Hollow. Each house has a handy plaque, detailing who died and when. The local church has a graveyard hastily put together as bodies piled up faster than at a suicide booth outside a Nickelback concert. There is also a 'boundary stone'. A stone where locals would leave coins soaked in vinegar in the hope neighboring villages would stock them with Quaver crisps and Dr. Pepper. Sadly foil hadn't been invented yet so the Quavers would often taste of vinegar. This maybe when salt & vinegar crisps were invented.
To get there, take the A6 until you see the dark portal. Use freshly killed rabbits to barter the black demon of despair to carry you across to the gates of Eyam. Failing that, the Transpeak bus more or less goes the same way. However, for hardcore mode, cycle it you pussies.
Eyam gets 10/10. It's fucking excellent.