Well Dressings

The Peak District is home to the old tradition of Well Dressing, in which wells and springs are decorated with natural materials each year between May and September. Intricate and detailed pictures are made, usually with the effort of many people from the local community, which are then placed by the well. The start of this tradition has been lost over the years but it is possible it began as a way of saying thank you to the well for providing clean water during the time of the Black Death.

One place you can see well dressings is Tissington. This village has six wells which are all dressed each year; you can find a detailed description of how the intricate pictures are made here.  

If you'd like to visit a well dressing, you can view the 2014 dates and locations here