Tissington

The ‘modern’ tradition of well-dressing is said to have been started at Tissington in 1350. But it is almost certain that the tradition goes back much further than that, to pagan times when the life-giving gift of water was so important to communities like this. Today the ceremony takes place on Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter (usually the middle of May), and draws many crowds who come to see the spectacular folk art created by the local people. The significance of the event in Tissington may have been to give thanks for their pure springs that had saved them from the ravages of the Black Death of 1348-49.  During this time some 77 of the 100 clergy in Derbyshire died; the surviving villagers simply returned to the pagan custom of well-dressing. Another plausible theory dates back only as far as the great drought of 1615, when the Tissington wells kept flowing though water everywhere was in very short supply. Whichever theory is true, one thing is certain: in the last 50 years or so many villages that had not dressed a well for centuries, if ever, began to take part in this colourful tradition.

A total of six wells are dressed at Tissington - the Hall, the Town, the Yew Tree, the Hands, the Coffin and the Children’s Wells. Each depicts a separate scene, usually from the Bible. Visitors should follow the signs in the village or ask at the Old Coach House.

Very much on the tourist route, particularly in the early summer, Tissington has plenty of tea rooms and ice cream shops to satisfy the hot and thirsty visitor, as well as that essential of any picturesque English village - a duck pond. The village itself, though often overlooked in favour of the colourful well-dressings, has some interesting buildings.  The Parish Church of St Mary, situated on a rise overlooking Tissington, dates originally from Norman times, and is still essentially Norman, even though it was restored in 1854, with many mock Norman features being added. It has an unusual tub-shaped font, which dates back to the original Norman Church. The pulpit too is unusual. Converted from a double-decker type, it once had a set of steps leading out from the priest’s stall below.

Home of the FitzHerbert family for 500 years, Tissington Hall is a distinguished and impressive stately home which was built by Francis FitzHerbert in 1609, though there may be fragments of an earlier building incorporated. During the Civil War, the Fitzherberts were for the king, and the then Fitzherbert was a colonel with the Royalist forces. He used the hall as a garrison for his troops.

The estate consists of 2,405 acres, and the Hall boasts a wealth of original pieces, artwork, furnishings and architectural features tracing the times and tastes of the FitzHerbert family over the centuries. The oak-panelled main hall has the original stone-flagged floor and is dominated by a stunning Gothic fireplace installed in 1757. Here visitors will also find a pair of late-18th-century Chippendale bookcases, a rosewood piano and other fine pieces. The Dining Room, originally the old kitchen, is also panelled in oak and has an original Waring & Gillow table with a matching set of 13 chairs. The frieze work was added in the early 1900s. Paintings of country scenes and family portraits adorn the walls. The Library is a repository of over 3,000 books, and is adorned with a frieze depicting a woodland scene. Other fine pieces include a bracket clock made by Jasper Taylor of Holborn in about 1907. The East and West Drawing Rooms can also be visited.

Tissington Hall and Gardens are open to the public on certain afternoons throughout the summer. Please call the Estate Office for details. In addition, the gardens are open on several days for charity including the National Gardens Scheme. Private groups and societies are welcome by written appointment throughout the year.

Following the old Ashbourne to Parsley Hay railway line, the Tissington Trail is a popular walk which can be combined with other old railway trails in the area, or country lanes, to make an enjoyable circular country walk. The trail passes through some lovely countryside and, having a reasonable surface, it is also popular with cyclists. Along the route can also be found many of the old railway buildings and junction boxes and, in particular, Hartington station, which is now a picnic site with an information centre in the old signal box.