Ashford in the Water Well Dressing celebrates 50 Years of Doctor Who

Ashford in the Water’s six village wells have been meticulously decorated by local residents this week, continuing a important tradition that has been carried out in the Peak District for hundreds of years.

The wells are dressed using natural products, such as leaves and petals, pressed into boards containing clay that has been soaked in the River Wye. Whilst the well dressing celebrations are thought to have originated with villagers celebrating the purity of spring water during the Black Death, these days they celebrate a cornucopia of interesting events and anniversaries. This year, the wells in Ashford are celebrating “The Good Life“, “50 Years of Doctor Who“, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the birth of Joseph Paxton (the former head gardener at Chatsworth), 30 Years of the Disney Channel (children’s well), and Moses and the Burning Bush (church-goers well)

Most importantly, two Sheldonians have been involved in the Doctor Who well this year; Bronwen and Georgina. We think their well looks great…well done…pun intended!

Ashford in the Water well dressing runs from Saturday 25th May through to the evening of Sunday 2nd June, but wells are best seen as close to the beginning of the week as possible. Whilst the wells are free to visit (as is the flower display in Ashford Church), donations are accepted at each well, and postcards/guides are available from the various shops/pubs in the village.

Editors note

A gallery containing images of all of the wells, along with an article taken from the local free magazine “Reflections” explaining the history behind well dressing and also detailing what it is like to actually produce a dressed well, is now available here.