Mayfield Well Dressing 2015

Mayfield Well Dressing and Summer Fete June 2015

Thank you to all who visited the 2015 Well Dressing and Summer Fete. As seems to be the case with summer events in England the weeks and days running up to Well Dressing event were sunny & dry. The evening before the event the heavens opened and it rained for the next 24 hours. Such is the beauty of the British weather but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the large number of people attending the event or the keen determination of the Heritage Group and volunteers that designed and created the stunning designs on the well dressing boards.

‘Alice in Wonderland’ is 150 years old this year and was chosen by the children of the village school to the theme of their well dressing.

Well dressing board at the Peace Well depicting the signing of the Magna Carta it was inspired by the 800 year celebration of the signing of the Magna Carta.

The design includes references to bell ringing, the pastoral landscape and the unwelcome visit by some of Bonnie Prince Charlie's retreating troops in 1745. — The design includes references to bell ringing, the pastoral landscape and the unwelcome visit by some of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s retreating troops in 1745.

Preparation and planning

Whilst the blessing of the wells and the summer fete are the culmination of Well Dressing, a lot of preparation and hard work goes into creating and organising the event and ‘making it happen’.

The planning starts early in the New Year when themes for the boards are agreed. Responsibilities are allocated and within weeks designs are submitted for approval and we are off and running!

Detailed working on the Magna Carta board

The plans and drawings for the 500 year celebration of Mayfield Church Tower

Part of the stock of flowers needed to decorate the boards

‘Nearly there’ the flowers are added to the boards. It has taken several month’s planning and over a week constructing and decorating the boards

Working on the Well Dressing Boards

As winter moved into spring more detailed planning is required and new challenges met. In 2015 we had to find replacement premises in which to apply the clay, build and decorate the boards and store all equipment.

We also tested a new board type to see if it would hold the clay and decorations better than existing boards. More importantly the number and types of flowers, beans and seeds required need to be estimated. We sent out flyers to all of the properties in Mayfield asking residents to sign up as volunteers to help us. Details of the work can be seen below

The board depicting Bonnie Prince Charlie’s ‘visit’.

The board celebrating the 500 year celebration of Mayfield Church Tower

The Blessing of the wells

We are very grateful to our well-loved vicar, the Reverend Ray Owen, for arranging for the ecumenical blessings of our three wells by clergy representing the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Stone Trough Well

Mayfield's vicar, the Rev Ray Owen (centre), the Rev. Tim Morris (left) and Fr John Guest (right) — Mayfield’s vicar, the Rev Ray Owen (centre), the Rev. Tim Morris (left) and Fr John Guest (right)

Visitors making the short trip from Mayfield Manor to the wells

Celebrating 150 years since ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was first published

The Peace Well

The Peace a Well is so called because our first well dressing in modern times in 1995 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the restoration of peace at the end of World War 2