Tuesday 7 July 2015

Well Dressings in Derbyshire





At the weekend we attended a well dressing . not literally a well dressing but a tradition going long back giving giving thanks for the water supply, now the village that is next to me is called Aston On Trent which lies on the river trent * what coincidence . The well dressings started back in 1997 ( from from this is raised for nominated charites) other areas go way way back in the mists of time. Aston on Trent is a sleepy little village with bags of chocolate box character and is at the bottom of a lane at the bottom of my road , sometimes I cycle there which is a bit hairy as the lane is a 60 mph country road * yikes.


Friday saw us popping over and installing ourselves in the local watering hole , must admit it took me a hour and half to relax , wicker man and you're not local vibes weren't there despite me imagining such things. It took me while to relax and soon the friendly locals were buying me lager one after another ( I wasn't driving ) When I say I am in a country idyll I am , I am in a village myself though it has been engulfed into a urban sprawl it is surround 360 degrees by rolling and undulating countryside.


This is why when and if I have to go to London I do love it but then I hanker to get back to my peace and quiet. I love the horses clipping and clopping down the road where I live and the tractors ooh how I love a tractor * nods I do , intact I am a bit obsessed, think I have turned into a lady tractor spotter.



Here in Derbyshire we are like that , I may be a soft southerner and get outed by my accent on occasion but what the heck if you can't beat em join em. Oh that reminds me they do thrash the village boundary for good luck or something like that ...





I think my favourite well dressing was Alice in Wonderland ...



Ooh if you looking to buy me a present what about this Georgian dream house ?

 
There is of course the village church which is old * really old ( goes to check dates ..




If you need me I'll be the one staring into the countryside ...


22 comments:

  1. I love Well dressings, I grew up in Youlgrave (Derbyshire) and we would help make them with Brownies each year. x

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  2. Oh those well dressings are amazing. We don't have them here where I live. I love the the UK is so diverse

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  3. I've heard about well dressings before but never been to one. Don't forget Claire that you might sound like a soft southerner, but you were born way, way up north,

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  4. I have never heard of well dressings - they look pretty cool though, especially that Alice one. Countryside seems to be treating you well!

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  5. Never heard of Well Dressings before but its looks fun. The closest we have here is a scarecrow festival which all the village gets involved with

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  6. We went to a well dressing a couple of years back, it was in Eyam. Lovely day we had and there was a brass band playing. Derbyshire is beautiful. I'd love to look at that church, I go into old churches wherever we go.

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  7. What a wonderful idea, I'm so glad it's a tradition that still remains. I have to say I've not heard of it before. I would so love to live in the countryside, but I have to make do with living on the very edge...of the city! Best of both worlds you could say.

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  8. Those Georgian houses are just stunning x

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  9. What a fantastic little tradition I love these little things that communities still do. x

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  10. I visited the well dressings in Malvern this year, they dress them to give thanks to the Godess Flora to bring fertility to the land

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  11. I saw this on Countryfile last night and it is such a charming tradition, beautiful craft skills too. Thanks for sharing x.

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  12. I have never heard of them before but what a lovely tradition!

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  13. Gorgeous photographs. I love when communities come together like that.

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  14. Very interesting, I've never heard of the before xx

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  15. I have never heard of a well dressing - and you cannot beat a bit of Alice in Wonderland

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  16. wow that sounds like a great tradition love these little communities.

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  17. I've never heard of well dressings before but I love the sound of them. Great photos too.

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  18. I've never heard of well dressings. Only blessings when a new one is dug!

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  19. What a gorgeous part of the UK to live in Claire x

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  20. I have never heard of well dressings before! That house - oh it is truly a dream house. Kaz x

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  21. what a great community spirit activity love all the pretty bright flowers

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