The origins of the tradition of Well Dressing in the Peak are lost in time - they certainly pre-date Christianity. The first large population of the area was by the Celts in about 500BC, bringing iron as they escaped the worsening weather of the continent. The central limestone plateau of the Peak, being porous, has very little surface water. Many of the dales are dry in summer, their rivers running underground, so all springs and wells would have been venerated. Water became the most important of all natural resources, as is reflected by the fact all rivers of the Peak have Celtic names. The religion of the outsiders mixed with the Sun and Moon based beliefs of the local stone age populace, with the springs being recognised as more than just a source of drinking-water and irrigation, but as having curative and regenerative powers.
The arrival of the Romans, with their own water gods and customs of offerings and sacrifices may have been the start of an annual “thanks” to the springs, although this is more likely to have been in the form of Food and Wine, rather than Flowers. The arrival of Christianity at the end of the Roman era, and the coming of the Angles and Saxons made little difference to the isolated Peak. Each newcomer's ideas merged with the existing beliefs, with water always being the centre of life. It is very unlikely that the early Christians had any problem with worshipping the wells, as they adopted many of the old ways to gain acceptance.
In the 7th century the Church began regarding “Well Worship” and other “Pagan” rituals as sacrilegious, though it is uncertain whether this had much effect in the Peak. By the arrival of the Normans, 1,000 years after the Romans, “water” and “garland” festivals were taking place in the area. It seems certain the plagues of the 14th century saw a major revival of Well Worship throughout Derbyshire, the well-being of a village often being attributed to the purity of the spring water. Tissington, around 1348, certainly dressed with flowers and blessed its five wells as it survived an outbreak of the “Black Death”. The disease may have even been responsible for the start of the “dressing”, as it was believed the plague could be kept away with a posy of flowers.
The Reformation, in the 16th century, saw another clamp down on the old ways, this time having much more effect. Droughts in the early decades of the 17th century brought the custom back, as the wells of the high limestone villages continued to flow as all the rivers vanished. In 1758, Nicholas Hardings, Clerk to the House of Commons, wrote, "At Tissington, Fitz-Herberts village, we saw the springs adorned with garlands. In one there was a tablet inscribed with rhymes composed by a schoolmaster in honour of these fountains."
Until the 19th century, wells were decorated with garlands and ribbons; this was then replaced by techniques similar to those used today. The idea of placing flower petals onto wet clay was probably imported from Italy.
Modern Well Dressing takes place in over 70 towns and villages through out Derbyshire and the borders of its neighbouring counties, though about half of these are 20th century affectations, with many not even having a well or spring. Teams of up to 20 or more people work for days to create a work of art that will be shown for just one week. The wells are dressed with large wooden trays, some up to 12' x 8', which are packed with clay. The clay is scribed with patterns and pictures, and colour and texture is added by carefully pressing petals, leaves, berries, bark, grasses and any other local natural products into it. These amazing organic mosaics may have thousands of individual petals and leaves to make a picture, all for just seven days display. Some panels don't even last the week if the weather is too humid or dry, or the clay hasn't been prepared correctly.
 |  |
Well Dressing takes place throughout the Peak from May to September. For more information and to book a walking holiday to include a Well Dressing visit www.SimplyWalk.co.uk.
