The Great Plague: The Village That Saved Britain (2026)

September 10, 2026 (GB) • Documentary, History, Drama • 68m

Overview

The story of Eyam, a small, isolated village in the Peak District, whose residents endured one of the worst outbreaks of bubonic plague ever seen. In the mid 1660s, plague reached the remote Derbyshire village, and as the disease tore through the community, young vicar William Mompesson made an extraordinary decision - to seal the village off entirely. Historian Ruth Goodman tells the story of some of the villagers who lived and died through 14 months of horror.

Director

Jamie Simpson

Writer

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Top Billed

Ruth Goodman

Keywords

quarantine countryside sacrifice england isolation village medicine survival religion britain historical plague 17th century historical reenactment peak district grim somber bubonic plague restoration contagion resilience tense tragic the black death derbyshire