Curiosity Cottage, Eyam

A lovely Peak District holiday cottage in the picturesque Plague village of Eyam, Hope Valley, Derbyshire .

Curiosity Cottage lies in the village of Eyam, a former lead-miners' village with a unique history. When the Plague arrived here from London in 1665 the villagers went into voluntary isolation until the Plague died out over a year later. There are numerous Plague Graves around the village and a trail you can follow, including the church (with its magnificent Saxon cross) and the Plague Cottages, where the outbreak began. There is also a small but very informative museum in the village.

For those with a sense of history there are numerous magnificent historic houses all within a few miles. These include Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Hardwick Hall and Lyme Hall - all of which offer excellent days out.

Also well worth a visit is Matlock and Matlock Bath, with show caves, a lead mining museum and a cable car.

Not far away are Hope and Castleton in the Hope Valley - the latter with the ruined medieval Peveril Castle, four show caves and the spectacular scenery of Winnats Pass and Mam Tor.

The historic towns of Buxton, Bakewell and Ashbourne are all within easy reach. A wide range of cultural events are available at Buxton Opera House, which hosts an annual music and opera festival and a Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, while Bakewell has a weekly agricultural market every Monday.

There are footpaths from the door of Curiosity Cottage, offering routes to Eyam Moor, Bretton and the gritstone edges of Froggatt and Curbar. Within a short drive are famous walking centres such as Dovedale, Hope Valley and Edale. Rock climbing is a popular sport in the Peak District and can be found on nearby gritstone edges such as Stanage Edge plus many other local centres. There are numerous opportunities locally for fishing, hang-gliding and cycling.

Curiosity Cottage is a super base for touring the Peak District with easy access to all the main sights of the region. See location map.