Eyam Parish Church (St Lawrence's Church)

The churchyard at Eyam holds a story that'll stick with you long after you've left. This is where the 1665 plague outbreak killed over a third of the village's population, and St Lawrence's Church sits at the heart of it all - a solid stone building that's watched over this place for centuries. The graves around you tell the real tale: entire families gone in months. Inside, the church is relatively modest, all whitewashed walls and old wooden pews, but the weight of what happened here is impossible to ignore.

Walking through the churchyard, you'll find the old plague victims' graves scattered about, some marked, others worn smooth by time. The village of Eyam itself is the real draw - it's near Buxton and worth a proper half-day visit if you're interested in social history rather than just ticking off another tourist spot. The locals voluntarily isolated themselves to stop the plague spreading to neighbouring villages. That kind of sacrifice deserves respect.

It's free to wander the churchyard and visit the church itself, though opening hours vary seasonally so check ahead. Allow an hour if you want to read the gravestones properly and take in the atmosphere. Families with older kids who can engage with the history will get something out of it, but younger ones might find it a bit heavy. If you're camping at Derbyshire Hills Campsite or Dale Farm Rural Campsite nearby, it's an easy morning trip that beats spending another day doing the Peak District circuit everyone else does.