Ashford in the Water well dressing

I am still very tired. I didn't sleep last night. I think there must be an adrenaline rush from driving so far at an average speed of whatever the speed limit is. But I have managed to reply to all my recent comments. I should be able to visit journals again tomorrow. Please bear with me.

It is the flower festival and well dressing in Ashford this week, so I should have a week of flower blips. The well dressing here today is the main one in our village, Ashford in the Water. Personally, I think the well dressing is stunning.

They are flower petals pushed into clay which has been soaking in the river for a wek. They are painstakingly made and it is quite an art. The petals stay fresh for about a week due to the moisture in the clay.

I have done a bit of googling for some more information for those of you who are interested in these customs.


Well dressing (also once known as well flowering) is a summer custom practised in rural England in which wells, springs or other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals. The custom is most closely associated with the Peak District of Derbyshire.

The origins of the tradition are alternatively said to lie in pagan tradition[2] or in giving thanks for the purity of the water drawn from certain wells during the period of the Black Death. It has been said to have originated in Tissington, Derbyshire in 1349. Tissington is about 3 miles or so from Ashford.

Thank you again everyone, enjoy your evening.