What is Well Dressing?
Well dressing (sometimes referred to as well flowering) is an ancient custom, in which sources of water, such as wells and springs, are decorated with natural materials: petals, mosses, grasses, berries, twigs cones, and seeds.
How are Well Dressings Made?
The construction of well dressings are a chance for whole communities to come together and get involved. Wooden frames are constructed, and lowered into local streams or ponds to soak, then packed with damp salt-laced clay (referred to as puddling). Designs are drawn onto thin paper, which is then traced onto the clay covered frames, outlined (in a process called black knobbing) with alder cones or coffee beans. Decorating can then begin; a chance for local people to become involved, pressing natural resources, collected locally, into the clay, revealing the image.
Rebecca's stepmother was not only lazy and cruel, but she was also miserly, and one day Rebecca discovered the old bucket, which should have been replaced long ago, was cracked and the handle was missing.
"Oh no! How will I carry water, with a hole in my bucket?"
And Rebecca began to cry. Her stepmother, showed no sympathy for the young girl.
"Stop crying, you silly child. You will have to find something else to fetch water. And don't dawdle because you have lots of work to do."
Before Rebecca had chance to ask what else she could use, the bitter woman had swept back into the house.
"Pack the riddle with moss, daub the riddle with clay, and carry the water right away."
But, because of all the time wasted, Rebecca was very angry.
"No! I won't. Leave me alone."
She lowered the riddle into the well once more, and once more the water poured out.
"Pack the riddle with moss, daub the riddle with clay, and carry the water right away."
Becoming desperate, and fearful of what her stepmother would do to her, Rebecca decided to do as the birds instructed. She gathered moss, and she gathered clay, and used it to plug up the holes in the riddle. She cautiously lowered the riddle into the well, holding her breath as she lifted it back out.
A History of Dressing Wells
The ancient tradition of dressing wells is not fully understood. It is thought by some, to have pagan origins, as part of a ritual to the water gods. Early Christianity disapproved, and thus the practise ceased.
In June 1348 plague arrived in Britain. The Derbyshire village of Tissington, revived the custom of well dressing, as thanksgiving to God, for providing clean water. It became an annual event, which took place on Ascension Day, when residents decorated the five wells in the village: Town Well, Hall Well, Yew Tree Well, Hands Well, and Coffin Well (a sixth well was added in 1982). A procession carried the colourful mosaics, and stood them before each water source, where a blessing was made. During a drought, in 1615 Tissington's water supply continued to flow, and the future of well dressing was secured, only stopping during World War I, World War II, and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Unique to Derbyshire, the Peak District, and Staffordshire, between the months of May and September, many towns and villages continue the custom today.
Information about well dressing festivals can be found at welldressing.com.
The Girl Who Fetched Water in a Riddle
A long time ago, a young girl named Rebecca lived with her father and stepmother, in a cottage on the edge of Calver village, in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire. Rebecca's stepmother was lazy and cruel, and made Rebecca do more work than young girls are supposed to do. Amongst her many chores Rebecca had to cook, and clean, and wash the dirty laundry. All these chores needed water, and Rebecca spent a large portion of the day toing and froing from the well, filling her bucket.
The cottage was surrounded by a thick alder hedgerow. In that hedgerow were two wrens, singing sweetly.
"Use the riddle Rebecca, fetch water in the riddle."
Now for those who don't know, a riddle is a large sieve, used for soil and compost.
"Silly birds," said Rebecca. "A riddle is full of holes, what use is that, for carrying water."
But the tiny wrens were not put off by Rebecca's ridicule, and repeated their song.
"Use the riddle, fetch water in the riddle."
With no other options Rebecca sighed, took the riddle from the shed, and despondently wandered towards the well. Still singing sweetly, the two little brown wrens followed her. Rebecca lowered the riddle into the well, and unsurprisingly the water poured straight back out again. The little brown wrens were chirping so loudly, it sounded as though they were giggling.
"Silly birds. Why did I listen to you," said Rebecca.
The melodic birds began to sing once more.
The moss and clay worked, not even a drip of water fell from the riddle. Rebecca thanked the birds, and carefully carried the riddle back to the cottage. All the while, her stepmother was plotting how to punish Rebecca, and was very cross when Rebecca returned with a riddle full of water. Outside, the wrens celebrated Rebecca's success with a beautiful song, before flying off to feed.
All this talk of Derbyshire, water and wells, it seemed only right we had a story about them.
Hope you enjoyed it!
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