Well Dressing is considered to have originated from a pagan custom of making offerings to the gods of wells and springs to ensure a continued supply of fresh water. Originally just a presentation of flowers and fruit, during the 19th century in Derbyshire it developed into elaborate pictures made of flower petals and leaves on a clay-covered board. The tradition is mostly local to Derbyshire.

Holymoorside’s well dressing first appears in the Derbyshire Courier in 1848, although it seems it was already a well established tradition. Periodic newspaper articles suggest it continued throughout the 19th century, but probably ended during the first world war.

The Well Dressing was revived in Holymoorside in 1979. The sites of the village wells are now lost to us, and so the first well dressing for several decades was built by the River Hipper.

We use flowers, leaves and other plant material such as seed heads, but Holymoorside Well Dressers insist that no flowers are purchased, and we do not use other materials such as wool or, gravel. All our material is collected from village gardens or hunted out in nearby hedgerows.

The Well Dressing normally costs very little, and so each year we nominate a charity to receive donations made at the well.

Unfortunately, the wooden frames for the well dressing are finally reaching the end of their lives, and must be replaced, so this year we are raising money for our own Well Dressing Equipment Fund.

Everyone is welcome to come and see the well dressings in person, they will be on site from now until 3rd September 2017.

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