Description: Eyam is famous as the 'plague village', which went into voluntary quarantine when the plague was imported from London in 1665.
This rock was where Rev. William Mompesson, chaplain to Sir George Saville, performed divine services and preached to his parishoners from this rock to attempt to prevent the spread of the plague.
The rock is still called Lucklet (or Cucklet) Church today.
Cucklet church is a large mass of rock, projecting from the steep sides of the dell, at the top of a steep acclivity or cliff; and is naturally perforated into a number of cavities, whose arches make it resemble a rough ecclesiastical building. (Taken from http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/gaztext_page.jsp?u_id=10091111)
The church in the centre of the village has many relics of the Plague, including Mompesson's chair, gravestones of Plague victims and the Parish Register recording the deaths. The church has two Norman columns, and may be built on Saxon foundations, but dates mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.