Thanks to James for sending through this report about the dress sense of St Lawrence’s residents – only joking – he is of course reporting on the wonderful tradition of well dressing. Ed
A group of local residents gathered for the sixth annual well-blessing ceremony at St. Lawrence Well last Saturday, 26th July.
The well was decorated with floral panels for the occasion. Donations collected are to be given to WaterAid and St. Lawrence Peace Garden.
The ancient well at St. Lawrence, transformed in the nineteenth century into a romantic folly, may once have been a holy well visited by medieval pilgrims en route to the curative White Well at Whitwell.
The St. Lawrence ceremony was the idea of the Rev. Sandra Lloyd, former vicar of the parish, to give thanks to God for the vital gift of water.
Rev. Lloyd attended a well-dressing course in Derbyshire, where the tradition has been observed since the Great Plague in 1665.
It takes a week to make the two floral panels. A team of volunteers patiently press flower petals, leaves, and other natural materials into a base of wet clay.
This years main panel depicts Cowes Week. The design was realised by Jill Fothergill and her son, Jamie. Jill has been a volunteer well dresser since it began in 2002, and said, “It puts St. Lawrence on the map”.
The six main well dressers were Judy Stonely, June Berg, May and Geoff. The youngest volunteer, Toby Noyes, aged 3 ½, whose parents Robert and Ruth Noyes look after the Well, Situated on their land at Lisle Combe. A big thank you also goes to all the other volunteers who helped during the week.
The Rev. Anne Faulkner, current vicar of St. Lawrence, who performed the blessing said, “It’s amazing to find such an important part of our heritage here in St. Lawrence – What a privilege it is to be part of it.”
Island MP Andrew Turner attended the ceremony and commented, “It’s a brilliant thing to do, and to explain how important the old wells once were.”
The floral panels will be left in place at the well for several days. Well Dresser June Berg said, “We’re hoping the squirrels won’t ruin it first! Some of the pieces are seeds; last year the squirrels ate the seeds and they had to be replaced everyday!”
