This ancient custom is all but unique to Derbyshire. It's the art of decorating wells and springs with pictures made using only natural materials

The well dressing procession starts from the church at 2:30pm.

There are 3 wells in Eyam located as follows...

1/ Town End Well Dressing, on the square at the eastern end of the village.

2/ Children's Well Dressing, near the Town End dressing.

3/ Town Head Well Dressing, at the western end of the village just down a lane on the north side of the main road.

The blessing of the water supply, in the form of a well is an ancient ceremony dating back to the Celts or even earlier.

It is only found in or near Derbyshire.

Well Dressing is the art of decorating springs or wells with pictures made of natural products.

Clay is pressed into boards, then the picture is traced onto the clay using a pointer. Then comes the delicate task of infilling with flower petals and other natural materials.

Each petal has to be put in separately and they overlap like tiles on a roof so that rain will flow off the picture. This process takes many hours and usually occupies most of the week prior to the well being dressed.