Riley Graves — Attraction in Derbyshire Dales

These six gravestones and tomb, enclosed by a stone wall, are actually the graves of the whole Hancock family. They all died of plague in Eyam and were buried here in Riley's Field. The inscriptions read;'ALICE HANCOCKE BUR AUG 9th 1666', 'ANN HANCOCKE, BUR AUG 10th 1666', 'WILLIAM HANCOCKE BUR AUG 17th 1666', 'JOHN HANCOCKE JUN BUR AUG 3rd 1666', 'ELIZABETH HANCOCKE BUR AUG 3rd 1666' and 'ONER HANCOCKE BUR AUG 7th 1666. The plague came into Eyam in a parcel of material which contained fleas that were carrying the disease. The villagers decided to cut themselves off from the rest of the country so they would not spread the...

We walked from Eyam on the figure of 8 walk (see local Eyam/Stoney Middleton walks) and came to the Riley graves of the Hancock family. The story of the Plague and Eyam of 1665/6 is both compelling and moving, and the Riley graves are to be found on a hillside near the boundary of Eyam. There is not enough room here to write all there is to see and learn, so next time you'd like a good walk and to discover more about the plague village then visit this picturesque place. You can also enjoy the views and visit the local businesses. It's a lovely place with friendly people...

Contemplative, peaceful place. Well worth the walk uphill from Eyam, to this circle of stones holding the Riley family graves. Set there within a field there beneath woodland and moorland it's a special place to honour our ancestors and appreciate the sacrifices the people of Eyam made to keep others safe. The bubonic plague arrived in Eyam in 1665, and the villagers decided to isolate themselves to protect others. We have a lot to learn, right now during the pandemic about this...