Tissington Well Dressings

18/07/2024

🪙Donations🪙

And with that, we bring 2024's Tissington Well Dressings to a close.

Last week, the committee gathered to distribute the Profits from this years Well Dressings, that took place from Ascension Day (May 9th) until the following Wednesday.

Over £6,000 will now be distributed to a number of local charities and good causes, including Careline, Ashbourne First Responders, and Derbyshire Carers.

Sir Richard FitzHerbert said “I think that we’ve finally turned the corner post covid, and are back to our winning ways with Well Dressing. A good effort was made by all the volunteers of whom we’re all very proud!”

03/07/2024

🏛Sad News🏛

You may recall back in March we reported that the pillars at the gates to Tissington Village had been repaired in time for this years Well Dressings.

Unfortunately just a few short months later another misjudged action has caused them to be knocked down yet again. This is a very sad occurance and brings to the fore an issue that needs serious consideration.

The gates themselves are listed and have stood in the same style since they were built in 1780, well over 240 years. During that time advancments in technology and transport have meant that this historic structure has become susceptible to regular damage and in need of regular repair. Perhaps now is the time to consider adjusting the design/location of the gates in order to protect them for a long time into the future.

Sir Richard Fitzherbert, Owner of Tissington Estate, is spearheading a campaign to the DDDC and Peak Park in order to do just that. If you would like any more information or to offer your support, please get in touch with Sir Richard via the Tissington Estate office. Hopefully the powers that be will see reason and the need move with the times in order to preserve and protect our History and Herritage.

20/05/2024

Sorry to see you go Andy. All the best with your future endeavours.

Ask you’ve probably heard by now with a heavy heart we are closing the door on our little butchers shop. Our last day trading is this Saturday 25th May 2024. ♥️

17/05/2024

🌸Materials🌱

A quick look at some of the materials used to dress our Wells.

Now that the wells are down they are usually stored somewhere to dry out then the clay cam be knocked off and the boards cam be stored until next year.

How many if these do you know?

17/05/2024

Hugh's prayer for Friday May 17th.
Last Thursday we celebrated Ascension Day. In Tissington in the Derbyshire Dales Ascension Day marks the beginning of their Well Dressing season. The origins of Well Dressing are obscure, they may be pagan, associated with the Black Death or the severe drought of 1615 when the Wells continued to provide water. What is sure is that the tradition represents a thanksgiving for deliverance from the Plague or drought. Pagan or not, today the tradition is very much a Christian festival with each Well receiving a blessing by an ecumenical group of ministers. The designs are spectacular with seeds, twigs, petals, leaves and flowers etc. being used to create vivid pictures inspired by films, cartoons or biblical themes. Each Well is decorated differently and new designs are created every year. The floral decoration of the Wells is a community activity and involves people who create and realise the designs and a small team of strong men, usually, who transport the heavy boards and erect them on site. Each Well has its own team and Tissington has six Wells so many people in the village are involved each year.
Photo Linda Williams.

16/05/2024

🎞Archive📷

Over Well Dressing week, we receive so many pictures and stories from years gone by, people coming back for generations.

These photos, sent in by Vaughan Wilson of Nottingham, are from 1963. Taken by a 16 year old Vaughan when his Godfather, Rev. Derek Buckly was vicar of Tissington, Fenny Bentley and Thorpe at the time.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and memories with us, Vaughan. we thoroughly enjoy seeing them.

15/05/2024

👣Stepback👣

As we reach the end of this years Well Dressings, let's take a look at 2011's designs.

It was in 2011 that Chris Carr and Ken Unwin recreated the photo stood either side of Hands well from 1950. Wendy, Ken's Daugher, had opted for a majestic stag on the picture board of hands well with tributes to the royal wedding of William and Kate and the International Year of Forrests on the outer columns.

Both Hall Well and Coffin Well had similar themes with very different depictions in 2011 with Hall Well displaying all things bright and beautiful, full of butterflies, birds, and flowers and Cofffin well opting for pairs of animals indicative of noah's ark The animals came in two by two.

Nancy on Town Well did a fantastically bright and detailed depiction of disneys Alice and wonderland options for a clever use of fish tank grit to get some of the colours required.

Alex on Children's Well chose the Courage of David with his sling and stone protecting his lamb from the lion.

Yew tree well also opted for a courageous character in St George having slain the dragon proudly showing his shield of red and white, surrounded by roses.

Designers:
Yew Tree Well: Margaret Carr
Coffin well: Diane Wilton
Hands Well: Wendy Greatorex
Town Well: Nancy Wilton
Hall Well: Linda Jane Stanton
Children's Well: Alex Penfold

15/05/2024

It's the final day of the 2024 Tissington Well Dressings

After 4pm tonight all six wells will start to be taken down and stored away safely until next year.

A massive thank you goes out to all the Designers, volunteers, dressers, diggers and heavy lifters who help bring the Well Dressings to fruition each year.

Despite yesterday's wet start it picked up in the afternoon and we had lots more visitors to our little village. Over the next few weeks all the money will be counted up and distributed to the church and charities that we support.

If you joined us we hope you had a lovely time, thank you for choosing to spend your days with us and contributing to the excellent causes we support. We hope you will join us again next year from the 29th May when we do it all over again.

From all the organisers and residents of Tissington and Tissington Hall Thank you.

14/05/2024

▶️Youtube▶️

Did you know we have a YouTube page?
On it there are shorts, videos and playlists related to the well dressings and Tissington Village.

Take the time to check it out:

Share your videos with friends, family and the world

14/05/2024

13/05/2024

10/05/2024

10/05/2024

10/05/2024

10/05/2024

10/05/2024

⚠️Serious traffic incident⚠️

Update: The road has now been cleared and traffic is flowing normally again. Please take care and be mindful when travelling in and around our village. An increase in people and traffic leads to an increase in the chances for accidents to occur. We hope everyone is OK and all can continue to enjoy our displays safely.

The A515 is currently closed north of Fenny Bently towards Tissington Gates.

If you are planning to attend from Ashbourne Direction the best approach would be to turn left at Sandybrook Lodge, travel up Spend Lane and rejoin the A515 at Tissington Gates.

These are narrow country roads but are passable with care, so please travel carfully.

10/05/2024

09/05/2024

Check out the local businesses while your here

09/05/2024

09/05/2024

For almost 40 years we have had a presence at the Well Dressing festival in the Derbyshire village of Tissington. Our team are there for the next 7 days with a gospel presentation, explaining the making and the message of these floral collages.

08/05/2024

All six wells are up and in place. Thank you to all volunteers who have helped put the designs together, put up the well, helping with the carparking this week, we couldn't do it without you and we are soo thankful for your support.

Remember: the service in St Mary's tomorrow at 11am followed by the Blessing procession at 12pm.

If you are trying to leave the village at this time, be mindful of the people in the road. The procession will move along shortly. Please be patient.

The village operates a one-way system for the next 7 days between 9am and 5pm and is closed to through traffic unless absolutely neccesary. Please be considerate to our volunteers and car park attendants.

As for our displays, we hope you enjoy them, no spoilers just yet....

Have you seen feathers? Come see the wells from tomorrow until 15th May at 5pm and see if you can spot him.

08/05/2024

26/05/2023

26/05/2023

25/05/2023

✔️ALL DONE✔️

Last night at about 6pm all the Well Dressings were taken down for another year. As they went up, just in reverse and a lot less delicately.

In some cases the well boards are left to completely dry out before the clay and debris is knocked off and disposed off. In others the boards are cleaned off before they are put away until next year.

The last jobs are to sweep up any mess and collect any last few coins from the well that have been thrown in.

After they have been taken down. All money from collection boxes and carparking are taken to the treasurer who will gather it all together and bank it. In about a month the comitee will gather to decide which chareties are being donated to. It's been a fantastic year and lots of money has been raised. Keep an eye on the page for updates to which chareties will benefit from our efforts.

24/05/2023

🥀FINAL DAY🥀

The wells are starting to look past their best and this evening after 5 pm they will be taken down.

The car park and the village is still busy and this week the Ashbourne Cubs came to see Wendy from Hands Well and made their own little display that can be seen over a gate in the center of the village.

Did anyone spot the tiny dressings on the road side? Up and coming future designers of the wells trying their hand at having a go.

It's a lovely sunny final day and has been a fantastic week. If next year you might like to stay in the village while the well dressings are on, check out Tissington Cottages, Tissington Caravan And Motorhome Site, and Bassetwood Farm for accomodation, or look into one of the many local BnB's or hotels in the area.

We hope you have enjoyed our displays this year and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future.

23/05/2023

📜✉️THE MESSAGE✉️📜

It has been a fantastic Well Dressing Festival for 2023.

We have had so many visitors come to see the wells this year. So much money has been raised for the charities we support and the community has come together in full force to keep our tradition alive.

As we near the end of Well Dressing Week it is important to remember what it's all about.

While the tradition started hundreds of years ago as a pagen festival giving thanks to God for the water. Over time people began to believe the Village was spared from Plague because of the purity of our water. People would surround the wells with garlands of flowers until approximately 200 years ago when boards started being used with pictures on. This has developed into the fine pieces of art displays we see today.

While people's beliefs may have changed and religion may be less of an influence than it used to be some of the core messages from the bible about being a good person within the community and supporting one another will forever remain relevant and have been demonstrated in excess this year by our community and our guests.

The many volunteers from near and far give up their time and energy for a few short weeks to make this event happen. And they do it not for their own recognition or benefit but for our guests to enjoy and to help others.

The many guests have visited and supported the local businesses, parted with their change, putting it into the collection boxes at the wells and treated our village with respect while they are here.

With just one day left to see this years Well Dressings, we would like to say a huge ...

🙏THANK YOU🙏 ....

to all the volunteers, visitors, businesses owners, residents and the entire community for making this year so wonderful.

If you came to see us we hope you will return, if you didn't make it we hope to welcome you in future.

🙏THANK YOU🙏

22/05/2023