Derbyshire Travel Guide - Well Dressing |
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Derbyshire Travel
Guide
A profile of Derbyshire, England, highlighting attractions, history, and visitor information. |
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Well Dressing in Derbyshire
Modern well dressing takes place in over 70 towns and villages throughout the county. Each dressing is a real cooperative effort, taking teams of as many as 20 workers seven days to create a work of art that will be exhibited for only a week. Local schools keep the tradition alive by teaching children to make their own well dressings. The dressings can best be described as a multi-material mosaic made from a startling variety of natural materials such as berries, flowers, and seeds. The subject matter of the mosaic is as varied as the materials, and may be anything from a conservation message, a religious theme, or a memorial for a native of the region. For an example, see the photo on this page, where the dressing (at Monyash) is a memorial to Victorian architect Sir Joseph Paxton. The resurgence in popularity of the well dressings has led to a return of other traditions, such as maypole dancing and flower festivals, which are often held in conjunction with well dressings. Since the well dressings only last for a week, you'll need a schedule of when each participating village will have its dressing if you want to see them. A schedule is available at the Peak District web site at www.visitpeakdistrict.com and in the annual Peak District Visitor Guide, available from Tourist Information Centres throughout the area.
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The
custom of well dressing in Derbyshire dates back at least to Celtic
times, and probably had its roots in a celebration of thanks for water.
The pagan ceremony lost importance as Christianity gradually took hold,
but it never died out completely. The earliest recorded well dressing
in Derbyshire was at Tissington, in 1349, and may have been a ceremony
of thanks for surviving the Black Death which was sweeping Europe at
that time.