Yesterday was remarkable in that it was a day without rain. We dropped into the pretty village of Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire on our way to meet up with friends at the nearby village of Great Longstone where we had lunch at the White Lion Inn.
Ashford was busy with visitors along its colourful and welcoming bunting festooned streets. Holy Trinity church had a flower festival but first we visited a couple of the well dressings in the centre of the village.
This smaller one was at the top of Fennel street opposite the car park. It is known as top pump well. Well Dressings feature in many Derbyshire Villages throughout the summer. This is an ancient tradition the origin of which is unknown. Some sources think the tradition stems from a pagan ceremony of thanking the gods for the gift of water. Others that it may have been started in the 14th century after the Black Death when people made thanks for clean, fresh water.
The well dressings are constructed upon a background of a clay board and decorated with seasonal and local flower petals, leaves and other organic natural materials.
The one
above commemorates 70 years of National Parks and shows walkers crossing
the River Dove using the famous stepping stones at Dove Dale.
More details of the walkers crossing the River Dove.
The theme of the church Flower Festival was 'Out and About in the Peak District.' All aspects of life, work and activities for visitors were portrayed in some wonderful and imaginative displays. I didn't get to photograph all the displays as the church was busy and some were in dark corners but here are a few.
Rambling by Sarah Winkworth-Smith. The Peak District is the birthplace of rambling following the mass trespass on Kinder Scout in 1932.
Camping by Hilary Bartlett
Arkwright's Mill by Janine Frost
Stately Homes - Haddon Hall by Angela Warren. There was also a display for Chatsworth House but it was right under a window flooded with light and my photo didn't turn out well.
Cycling by Hannah Gregory-Campeau
Village Cricket by Jan Gibson
Hospitality by Rachel Kaunhoven
All names, dates and notes taken from the Flower Festival leaflet produced by Holy Trinity Church, Ashford in the Water.
Here is a little more about the Well Dressings from the church website - link.
Here is a little more about the Well Dressings from the church website - link.
These are very creative!
ReplyDeleteThey are and there are some fine ones to be found across the county through the Spring and Summer:)
DeleteWhat a great day out & I do love flower & garden shows. Very few here any more. Thanks for sharing, take care & have a good weekend.(hopefully fine).
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely day out and an unexpected bonus to see the flower foestival in the church, weather fine today (Saturday) hope you too have a lovely weekend:)
DeleteAshford in the Water was on the list of possible places to visit for our day out this week. It's such a lovely village which we've gone to before on our wedding anniversary celebration day. The village looks even more attractive during well dressing with the added pleasure of a flower festival in the church. I'm glad that you had a good time there and with your friends.
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to be able to go inside the church as well as seeing the well dressings we did miss a couple which weren't in the centre. The village did look very festive and lots of visitors too:)
DeleteLovely to see so many flowers. I’ve never seen the well dressings. Such a lovely colourful idea for summer. Have a good weekend. B x
ReplyDeleteIt's good that the well dressings are placed in nearby villages at the same time and these are spread throughout the county over the summer giving pockets of them to see in different areas. Hope you too have a good weekend:)
DeleteThey are so intricate, it's amazing how they get the details with the petals. Really beautiful and great that this old tradition has been proudly continued through the years. 😊
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to see all the work that has gone into constructing them, so many skilled people about in all the villages. I assume that the skill is passed on to each new generation to keep the tradition going:)
DeleteSome of those displays were stunning and the well dressings a delight.
ReplyDeleteThe displays in the church were mostly very delicate colours which made them seem natural and moe like wild flowers than exotic blooms, it was very effective:)
DeleteThere's some lovely displays, I love the colours of the Arkwright Mill one :)
ReplyDeleteThere were two parts to the mill display and it was a lovely display which I couldn't quite capture well because of the light from the window:)
DeleteI remember you showing some of the well dressings in the past and I think then I mentioned that it is one of those things I would love to go and see so thanks so much for all the lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteThe flower festival in the church looks wonderful and the displays so pretty - I particularly liked the first two.
The well dressings are spread over the late spring/summer season so they pop up in different areas usually across two or three villages in that area. When I was at junior school (many years ago) out annual trip was to Tissington Well Dressings which are usually the first of the season. It was lovely to have the added bonus of the flower festival in the church too:)
DeleteThe well dressings always fascinated me. We had a school residential trip to Eyam where we learnt all about the black death and visited many of the cottages whilst we stayed at the Youth Hostel.... many years ago now though.
ReplyDeleteEyam is a lovely village and it is so sad about the plague victims and the village cutting themselves off to save other around. It's a lovely area:)
DeleteI've never seen well dressings (apart from on here!) They look fascinating! I think they are a great idea for giving thanks and would do well to be adopted in the towns and cities and villages countrywide. Something for people to look at, take a moment, and be grateful. Have a great weekend Rosie. It's going to be a hot one here! x
ReplyDeleteThey are very unusual and interesting Simone, it' quite a skill passed down through the generations. I hope it wasn't too warm for you. It was very hot coming home from the North yesterday:)
DeleteBeautiful photos. I've not managed to get out and see many well dressings (only one village!) this year as I've just been so busy!
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky to be early in the village as we were meeting friends at 11a.m. it got very busy just before we left. I only saw the two well dressings I think there were more:)
DeleteI stumbled across your blog when looking for something on the Ashford-in-the-Water Flower Festival. It's very interesting, lovely photos, thank you. I will come back.
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Seems ages ago now, I enjoyed looking back at the photos and what I had written at the time:)
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