The Black Death
Walsham le Willows has rich surviving historical records, probably the best in the UK and arguably amongst the best in Europe. These are based on exceptionally good 14th-century Manorial Court Rolls (judicial records), so good that Walsham le Willows was chosen as the setting for the fictionalised history The Black Death: An Intimate History, by John Hatcher set in the years following the summer of 1348 as the Black Death ravaged European society. John Hatcher used these excellent manorial records to ‘fill in the gaps’ for his story.
The historian, Lucy Worsley and a BBC film crew visited Walsham in the summer of 2021 to film part of her new series Lucy Worsley Investigates.
This episode highlights the impact and outcomes of the Black Death giving a fascinating insight into this period of history when roughly half of the population in Walsham (between six and seven hundred people) died of the plague.
The Black Death decimated communites across the country and continent which resulted in significant social and political change. This episode and the rest of the series are available to view on iPlayer.
