Happy Friday, readers! I’m excited to start my weekend with a visit from the lovely Heather Moll! As you may have seen, her new Pride and Prejudice variation – An Appearance of Goodness – just released 6 days ago!! And Heather is currently on tour to celebrate!
Heather is here to share a little about an interesting Derbyshire tradition, and surprisingly it does not pertain to jewelry. (If you seen Heather’s other visits to this blog, you know what I’m talking about. 😉)
We hope you enjoy! 🙌🏼
Thanks for the warm welcome back to Austenesque Reviews! An Appearance of Goodness takes place in Derbyshire, and when I visited in 2019 I saw a local custom that I just had to incorporate into a story set at Pemberley.
Well dressing is a practice that takes place exclusively in Derbyshire villages from May until late summer. A well dressing is a wooden board, coated in clay, with flower petals and other natural materials pressed into it to make pictures, words, and patterns. They’re placed around the village’s wells and springs.
The first recorded mention is from 1818, involving “boards… covered in moist clay into which the stems of flowers are inserted… to form a beautiful mosaic work, often tasteful in design, and vivid in colouring.” But other records mention Derbyshire wells being adorned by garlands in 1758 and there are even older mentions of festivals of gratitude for the water supply allegedly stopping a plague outbreak and staying constant during a drought.
The process of well dressing is essentially the same now as it was hundreds of years ago. It begins by building a large wooden frame to create the image and then position over the well or spring. They could be community images, Bible stories, historical events, or even inspirational quotes or children’s stories. Teams of villagers create mosaics using natural materials such as leaves, moss, tree bark, petals and even coffee beans, on a bed of clay.
Most villages hold a blessing ceremony with a procession from one well to the next and is followed by a community festival. Beside each well there is typically a donation box raising money for local churches, the village hall, or other charities.
Here are a few pictures of Bakewell’s well dressings from 2019.
In An Appearance of Goodness, Darcy takes his guests to Bakewell’s well dressing festival. He likes showing his guests something unique to Derbyshire, but it also turns out to be a convenient way to have Elizabeth to himself as they wander the village together.
~ Excerpt from An Appearance of Goodness ~
Elizabeth wished for a nearer look at the dressing at this well, and Darcy stood by her whilst she waited her
turn amidst the throng to get closer to it. As she took in the happy crowd around her, she said, “At one time I would have been surprised that you would partake in a rural festival that shows gratitude for the gift of water. But I think now that these emblems of faith and benevolence, and of your ties to the community, suit you well.”
She spoke with more emotion than he would have expected, and the admiring look she gave him made it difficult to speak. “I hope,” he said and then swallowed thickly, “I hope your visit to Derbyshire gives you the opportunity to properly sketch my character.”
“I think I already have, and you have my good opinion,” she said smilingly.
He might have said more, but then one of his tenants touched his hat in obeisance. This was hardly the place to learn if Elizabeth’s good opinion might extend to a more tender emotion. As they waited, Darcy greeted several of his tenants, asking their children which of them would be king of the sports today, and gave his best wishes for a better yield than the cold, wet weather gave them all reason to hope for.
“Oh, look at the tasteful design of it!” Elizabeth cried as she was standing next to the board that surrounded the well. “The vivid colouring and mosaic patterns are beautiful.”
“It is no surprise to me that you are awed and charmed by anything having to do with nature. For myself, I have always enjoyed the fellowship in the neighbourhood that accompanies a well dressing.”
“All the wells were charmingly decorated, but I think my favourite was the one by the fountain. It was enchanting to see the water flowing from above, surrounded by a mosaic of flowers,” she said to him later, once she had insisted on seeing each of the wells a second time. “The daisies and buttercups around the edge gave it the look of a gilded frame, and the foliage arranged into verses from scripture are exquisite!”
The effect of Old and New Testament images and scripture verses, along with the favourite scenes of nature that graced all of Bakewell’s well dressings, was beautiful, but seeing them through Elizabeth’s eyes made them more fascinating to him. “I am glad you came today, Miss Bennet.”
The remainder of the afternoon was spent in rural festivity. They often saw Bingley and his wife, at a booth sampling plain fare or watching the various feats of agility and skill displayed by the village boys, but the majority of the day was happily spent walking Bakewell with Elizabeth and speaking with her.
Upon hearing the cheers and shouts that attended the competitors, Elizabeth’s spirits seemed to rise in playfulness when she said, “The athletic rivalry seems quite heightened. Did you compete when you were a boy?”
“I had my share of merry-making when I was young, but I knew well enough not to win whatever the prize effort was.”
“You hardly strike me as the sort not to try your best in every endeavour as a matter of principle.”
He shrugged good-naturedly. “It would hardly do to have Master Fitzwilliam come into Bakewell and win a prize the sons of my father’s tenants wished to win.” Elizabeth was looking at him with a soft look in her eyes. “However, I gave my very best to every game of leapfrog and ball.”
She laughed, and held his arm a little tighter. The happiness he felt in this moment was clouded only by the realisation that if he had not acted so meanly in the past, had he not been too proud, he might have been walking this festival with his wife rather than his friend’s sister-in-law.
What do you think of well dressing? I thought this unique Derbyshire tradition was a perfect setting for Darcy and Elizabeth to walk and talk and get to know each other a little better.
Thank you so much for introducing this unique and charming tradition to us, Heather! How fascinating that it is unique to Derbyshire! I love that it is still practiced today. Like Elizabeth, I would love ones with nature scenes. This excerpt was enchanting. I love seeing Elizabeth think well of Mr. Darcy and I love how much he yearns for her approval and admiration. I cannot wait to see what happens next! 🥰
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
Heather brings with her today a lovely prize pack to giveaway to 1️⃣ lucky winner! This prize pack includes:
- A signed paperback copy of An Appearance of Goodness
- 2 Stickers from Pemberley Papers
- A pink Jane Austen notebook
Commenting on this post and filling out the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Heather!
- This giveaway ends October 12th!
~ An Appearance of Goodness is available now ~
Be sure to check out the rest of the blog tour!
Thanks for hosting me and An Appearance of Goodness today!
I did read and enjoy this story. Thanks for a chance to win a copy and the other prizes.
Thank you for reading it! Best of luck in the giveaway
I thoroughly enjoy Heather Moll’s books, looking forward to reading this one as well.
Thanks so much Cassandra! That’s lovely to hear.
Oh I will have to read The Appearance of Goodness, already charmed by the story.
I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for saying hello.
Lovely excerpt! Thank you for sharing.
Taking in a courting process that is a gentle and kind in mood and intelligent in aspect is much more interesting than having ODC coming together to solve a crisis. Having interaction be plot driven instead of character driven puts the emphasis on mystery or action and not on romance.
That’s a great point. In An Appearance of Goodness, Darcy and Elizabeth have a chance to court and flirt and gauge each other’s interest before there’s a problem to unite them in a cause.
I loved Heather’s books and definitely looking forward to reading this book! The well dressings are gorgeous! Thank for the giveaway and wishing you the best in your tour!
Thanks Laura! Aren’t the well dressings neat? Such a unique practice. Good luck in the giveaway!
Thank you for this information. The designs were stunning. I must confess that I wish the bridge on the cover had hand rails.
Maybe building codes weren’t the same in 1812? Or it fits with the ominous feeling that something by that stream might go wrong…
Interesting background on well dressing and a lovely excerpt. The cover is gorgeous!
Aren’t the well dressings interesting? I had never heard of them until I was looking at what to do in Derbyshire in the summer. Thanks for saying hi!
I haven’t visited any of the well dressings for some time alas! It was probably 4 years ago when my Mum lived in Chapel-en-le-Frith. She’s back there now as her care home closed and she was moved to one there so maybe I’ll see them next year. I’m not sure where it was but one Derbyshire village did one to celebrate the Queen’s life which was wonderful!
I’m glad Darcy took Elizabeth to Bakewell for this as it gave him a bit of an insight into her changed feelings for him, shame he couldn’t confirm it at the time, but at least the hope was there!
I absolutely loved this story. Thank you Heather and to you for sharing Meredith.
I saw that one with Paddington saluting the Queen! I just looked up the village and it was Hartington. It was an adorable and sad tribute.
The well dressing festival seemed a good place for a walk and talk opportunity for Darcy and Elizabeth. Thank you so much for reading it!
Well dressing sounds like a charming tradition. Loved the excerpt! Thanks so much for a chance to win the book and the additional goodies!
It is charming! I was so happy to see some in person and then to learn the concept is essentially unchanged from 200+ years ago. Best of luck in the giveaway!
I’m reading An Appearance of Goodness right now! Love Heather Moll’s writing. The well dressing is an interesting local practice, I’ve never heard of it before. I wish I could go and see it some day. Best of luck on the launch!
Thank you for reading it! I had never heard of well dressings either until I stumbled into them, and then I had to learn more. Thanks for your well wishes.
Read “An Appearance of Goodness” and loved it. Am a big fan of Heather’s work. It’s fascinating to me that the well dressing tradition continues to this day in Derbyshire. I am always so impressed with the amount of research that JAFF authors do.
I’m so pleased you liked the book Christine! Isn’t it fascinating that this tradition has remained essential unchanged for hundreds of years. It’s incredible. I found a pic of part of the church service element by a well from the late 1790s, and when I was in Bakewell in 2019 I saw a similar group with a church member blessing the well. Pretty amazing!
What a wonderful tradition!
denise
It’s so neat! It reminded me a little bit of the Rose Bowl parade in the States on New Year’s Day where all the floats are made of natural products like flower petals, seeds, grasses, etc.
I can see the parallel.
Can’t wait to read this one.
Words like this are fuel for my little author heart! Thanks so much.
Heather, Congratulations on another new release! I enjoy your writing style so much! I look forward to reading this one!
Hi Rebecca! Thanks so much for your well wishes!!
I love that cover. It is perfect. It is outdoors which is perfect for ODC. They are either walking to the well dressing or are returning from one. How appropriate. I have this on my wish-list. I have read stories where well dressing was mentioned. I am looking forward to reading how this one is presented. Blessings on the success of this launch.
Isn’t the cover wonderful? I’m really pleased with how it came out. I hope you enjoy the book! Thanks so much!
Hi Heather! Thank you so much for giving us notice about the well dressing tradition: it’s so beautiful not only for the art displayed but for the gratitude expressed by this piece of art 😉
It suits very well with the scene of Darcy and Elizabeth walking and talking along the village 😉
Thanks for the giveaway and good luck with the release!
I thought it was such a neat tradition too, and how fascinating that it’s persevered for so long. Thanks so much and good luck in the giveaway.
Love learning more history & what fun about the well dressing.
Thanks so much for reading the post! I’m glad you liked it.
Well dressing is completely new to me, so that was a fun new piece of interesting fact. Can’t wait to read this. Love Heather’s stories.
I hadn’t heard of it either! Pretty interesting to think that our nineteenth century characters would recognize today’s well dressing festivals. Thank you!
I never heard of well dressing before so thanks for sharing that. A charming Darcy for this book then? Can’t wait.
Oh yes! This is a post-Hunsford Darcy so he’s ready to flirt—n between all the disasters, anyway. Thank you!
This book has second chances at love and a murder mystery. Very well done!
Congratulations on your latest release!
Thank you so much for reading it Sam!
Thank you for showing a slice of Regency/English life that was new to me! Those well dressings look incredible to make!
Isn’t it fascinating? I found a video on youtube of a group of townspeople making one and it was a lot of fun to watch the designs come together. Such attention to detail.
What an interesting post. I did not know about wells being dressed.
Congratulations on this release.
Isn’t it a charming tradition? Thanks for your well wishes Patty!
Heather your new story (& the rural festivity Bingley and his wife enjoy) sound fun 😀
Thank you! Isn’t it a charming way to spend the afternoon?
Thank you for the extract. Look forward to reading more of the story
Thank you for reading it! I hope you enjoy the rest
I’ve never heard of a well dressing before! What a fun thing! I loved the bit of the story that we got to read, it’s such a sweet picture of them.
Thanks for reading the excerpt. It’s a nice moment when things are really shifting from a thaw to warming up. Plus, the well dressing festival is a nice place to relax and chat. Thanks for saying hi!
First comment here! I *LOVED* this book. 9 Ladies is one of my favorite variations, and this story is delightfully different and wonderful.
Welcome Emily! Thank you so much for reading the book I’m glad you liked Nine Ladies, too. Now that I think about it, both of those books take place in the same area!
That notebook is so cute!! Can’t wait to read this book! The excerpt is lovely!
Isn’t it adorable? Thanks for reading the excerpt!
Excited to read this!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it
Congratulations, Heather! I love the cover as well as the unique tradition of well dressing that continues to this day. It is always so nice to read an excerpt where Elizabeth and Darcy are communicating! Thank you for a chance at the giveaway! It is awesome!
Thanks Carole! I’m so pleased with how the cover turned out. And it’s nice to see Darcy and Elizabeth making some headway. It’s pretty low angst as far as ODC is concerned. Good luck in the giveaway!
I am really looking forward to reading this! Lovely cover. Thanks for the excerpt!
I love the cover, too! Thanks for wanting to read it ☺️