Tissington’s annual Well Dressing Festival is a unique and captivating tradition that dates back centuries.
The village’s six wells - each decorated with a unique design - have been blessed today, Ascension Day, and are now on public display for a week.
The festival is one of the oldest and most famous in Derbyshire, attracting visitors from far and wide.
The making of the Wells starts the weekend before the Wells go up. They will come down on Wednesday, May 20.
Well dressings, feature intricate floral designs with and are a regional pagan tradition, blessing wells for giving clean water. It is estimated that 70 people help to create the floral collages. Hall Well, the largest well, takes a team of twelve volunteers, four days to make. This year’s design is entitled ‘Candlemas’ a Christian celebration which gives thanks for the birth of Jesus. After marking-out wooden panels, packed with damp clay, with coffee beans, Candlemas is packed with colourful flowers and petals from Statis, chrysanthemum, carnations, roses, hydrangeas and wild garlic. It features egg shells, pussy willow and monkey puzzle leaves to add texture to the design.
Well Dressing festivals also to take place later this month include in Middleton by Youlgrave, Monyash, Wirksworth, Ashford-in-the-Water, Belper, Tideswell and Bakewell.
Rod Kirkpatrick captured these photos of finishing touches being made to the Hall Well.
5. Hall Well
‘Hall Well’ is the largest of six well dressings. Photo: Rod Kirkpatrick/RKP Photography
6. Pagan tradition
After marking-out wooden panels, packed with damp clay, with coffee beans, Candlemas is packed with colourful flowers and petals from Statis, chrysanthemum, carnations, roses, hydrangeas and wild garlic. It features egg shells, pussy willow and monkey puzzle leaves to add texture to the design. Photo: Rod Kirkpatrick/RKP Photography