The Plague Village | Preview (5)

This is the extraordinary story of Eyam, a small, isolated village in the Peak District, whose residents endured one of the most terrible ordeals in British history - one of the worst outbreaks of bubonic plague ever seen.

In 1665, plague reached the remote Derbyshire village, carried in a bundle of infected clothes from London. As the disease tore through the community, young vicar William Mompesson made an extraordinary decision: to seal the village off entirely. One third of the inhabitants died and entire families were wiped out. But among the horror, this is a story of incredible bravery, as the villagers agreed to sacrifice themselves to save nearby communities and towns.

Historian Ruth Goodman tells the remarkable story of some of the villagers who lived - and died - through 14 months of horror, including Mompesson and his wife Catherine, who tended to the dying; miner Marshall Howe, who took it upon himself to bury the victims; and sweethearts Emmott and Rowland, torn apart by the quarantine; as well as Emmott’s whole family, devastated by the disease.

It is a tale of unimaginable loss and remarkable courage, revealing how Eyam's sacrifice probably saved tens of thousands of lives, as the plague did not spread to Derby, Sheffield or Manchester.

The Plague Village airs Wednesday 2nd September at 9pm on 5.