Tissington - 15 May 2015
Tissington - 15 May 2015
A well dressing–so is it Art with a capital A?
Tissington - 15 May 2015
Tissington - 15 May 2015
A well dressing–so is it Art with a capital A?
A well dressing – so is it Art with a capital A? -we are talking about a work of original design which includes making choices from a huge palette (petals, leaves, bark, moss etc. – all natural); and created in an utterly appropriate gallery that is a whole village. (Splitting hairs, we would call it traditional art rather than folk art, but have a look at the photos below and make up your own mind!)
But back to the beginning. The four highlights of the FoW excursion to Tissingtonwere the coach ride itself, the well dressings in the village, the village itself and Tissington Hall.
The coach took a scenic route via the Macclesfield, passing the Cat and Fiddle and Buxton, its passengers enjoying the changing landscapes of the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales.
Strolling around the village, we saw more than seven well dressings in Tissington. Well Dressing dates back probably to pre-Christian times, the locals laying flowers in thanks to the water spirit of the well. The custom probably became more elaborate after the Black Death of the 14th century: unlike the surrounding villages, Tissington escaped the plague. This was thought to be due to the purity of the water and the custom began of decorating the wells in thanksgiving to God. In Tissington, the process implementing the designs takes three solid days of work before the well dressing structures are erected just before Ascension Day. From Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), they are on display for a week.
The gallery for the well dressings isTissington, said to be one of the most picturesque villages in England. As well as the wells, you explore the village, pop. 100, - so small you identify a street by using word “The”: Instead of, say, “Magnolia Street”, all you need to say is “The Street”! Find a few small shops including a sweet shop right out of Victorian times. Have a cuppa in the Village Hall. Avoid stepping on one of the numerous ducks wandering around like they own the place (umm… well they do actually!) The quackers are taking a break from paddling in the village pond. And peer over low walls at the locals’ gardens. See a video in the Norman church about the making of the well dressings. Then maybe have a bite to eat in Herbert’s tea rooms.
The final highlight was the one and a half hour tour of Tissington Hall and its extensive gardens. It has been occupied by the FitzHerbert family for more than 400 years. It has a remarkable Great Hall, with its 400-year-old marble floor, large wooden table and carved wooden staircase in surprisingly good condition. It is in these days a popular venue for Derbyshsire weddings. We had two knowledgeable guides whose obvious enjoyment of their role contributed to our own enjoyment. We could count as a third guide the Sir Richard himself, the 9th FitzHerbert Baronet. We intersected with him twice, once in his work clothes and baseball cap in the gardens with two of his dogs (just back from directing visitor traffic the guide guessed), and again in the library, his favourite room in the house. He was welcoming to the FoW group and generous with his time.
A good day – and sunshine was provided at no extra charge!
A well dressing – so is it Art with a capital A? -we are talking about a work of original design which includes making choices from a huge palette (petals, leaves, bark, moss etc. – all natural); and created in an utterly appropriate gallery that is a whole village. (Splitting hairs, we would call it traditional art rather than folk art, but have a look at the photos below and make up your own mind!)
But back to the beginning. The four highlights of the FoW excursion to Tissingtonwere the coach ride itself, the well dressings in the village, the village itself and Tissington Hall.
The coach took a scenic route via the Macclesfield, passing the Cat and Fiddle and Buxton, its passengers enjoying the changing landscapes of the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales.
Strolling around the village, we saw more than seven well dressings in Tissington. Well Dressing dates back probably to pre-Christian times, the locals laying flowers in thanks to the water spirit of the well. The custom probably became more elaborate after the Black Death of the 14th century: unlike the surrounding villages, Tissington escaped the plague. This was thought to be due to the purity of the water and the custom began of decorating the wells in thanksgiving to God. In Tissington, the process implementing the designs takes three solid days of work before the well dressing structures are erected just before Ascension Day. From Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), they are on display for a week.
The gallery for the well dressings isTissington, said to be one of the most picturesque villages in England. As well as the wells, you explore the village, pop. 100, - so small you identify a street by using word “The”: Instead of, say, “Magnolia Street”, all you need to say is “The Street”! Find a few small shops including a sweet shop right out of Victorian times. Have a cuppa in the Village Hall. Avoid stepping on one of the numerous ducks wandering around like they own the place (umm… well they do actually!) The quackers are taking a break from paddling in the village pond. And peer over low walls at the locals’ gardens. See a video in the Norman church about the making of the well dressings. Then maybe have a bite to eat in Herbert’s tea rooms.
The final highlight was the one and a half hour tour of Tissington Hall and its extensive gardens. It has been occupied by the FitzHerbert family for more than 400 years. It has a remarkable Great Hall, with its 400-year-old marble floor, large wooden table and carved wooden staircase in surprisingly good condition. It is in these days a popular venue for Derbyshsire weddings. We had two knowledgeable guides whose obvious enjoyment of their role contributed to our own enjoyment. We could count as a third guide the Sir Richard himself, the 9th FitzHerbert Baronet. We intersected with him twice, once in his work clothes and baseball cap in the gardens with two of his dogs (just back from directing visitor traffic the guide guessed), and again in the library, his favourite room in the house. He was welcoming to the FoW group and generous with his time.
A good day – and sunshine was provided at no extra charge!
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