Ashford-in -the-Water Well Dressing in the Making

To Make the Well Dressing, Villagers conduct the Puddling of Clay into Well Dressing Boards at Sheepwash Bridge on Friday May 26, 4.30 pm. The base of each well dressing is clay smothered onto wooden slatted boards. These wooden well boards are put into the river and anchored down with stones a fortnight before Trinity Sunday.

The design for the well is drawn on paper to the size of the board and is then laid on top of the clay. The outline is transferred to the clay by pricking through the paper with cocktail sticks.

Once the background is completed the ‘petalling’ can start and the picture begins to take shape. Flowers with ‘hard’ petals, such as hydrangeas which will last the week are used.

The Petalling of the Well Dressing Boards can be found in various village locations: Saturday May 27, 2023 - Friday June 2, 2023.

Well Dressings in place for viewing: Ashford-in-the-Water, Saturday June 3, - Sunday June 11, 2023.

The Well Dressing Runs concurrently with the FLOWER FESTIVAL in Holy Trinity Church (church open for Flower Festival from 10.30 am - 7.00 pm).

The Sheepwash Demonstration: at Sheepwash Bridge on Saturday June 3, , approx. 3.00 pm.

The Well Blessing Service and Sermon is at the Old Preaching Cross: Holy Trinity Church on Sunday June 4 2023, 3.00 pm

The Village Parade and Blessing of the Wells: Starts at Holy Trinity Church, Sunday June 4 2023, 3.30 pm.

Ashford in the Water is located between Bakewell and Buxton, off the A6.