The 'art' of dressing wells with flowers probably goes back to pagan times - a thank you to the gods for the gift of fresh water. Although well dressing is peculiar to Derbyshire and the Peak District examples can be found in Staffordshire, South Yorkshire and Cheshire. There is no definitive way to dress a well, although similar, methods of preparation and decorating vary from village to village. -
Welcome to - Barlow Well Dressings 13th - 20th August 2008 The wells are blessed every year on the Wednesday after the second Sunday in August and marks the start of a week of activities not the least of which is the Carnival Parade on the Saturday. There are three wells dressed in Barlow |
|
|
|
| Valley Rise Well | 'Main' Well | |
|
|
|
Friends: Derbyshire in Focus |
We have loads of photographs of the wells (and Barlow) that we're happy to share and we're always interested in ones that we haven't got. We have various souveniers that we sell on the wells in order to raise monies for the charities that we support. If you have any questions about the wells - how we do it - who does it - why we do it - for how long - anything at all please contact John Adams on:-
|
Extract from a letter dated 1908, written by Mary Haslam to her daughter Anne Lomas:- "Barlow Lees, August 13th Me & Aunt Sarah rode with them last night to see the well. Mabel and their children walked across the fields to Barlow, the trap would not hold us all. Mr Wells fetched us back. The well looks very pretty both at Barlow & Commonside" |
|
