Ashford in the Water is a picturesque stone-built Derbyshire village on the river Wye, just outside Bakewell. For most of the year it's a quiet place but 10 days or so in June sees a sudden influx of visitors flocking to the well-dressings. We went late afternoon mid-week, and certainly weren't the only people there (perhaps we all thought it would be quieter then).
Well-dressing is a Derbyshire tradition, the origins of which are lost in time but generally considered to be a way of giving thanks for clean water. Some villages have been decorating their wells for centuries; for some it's a modern revival.
By the side or behind the well stands a frame packed with clay into which flowers, leaves and pebbles are pressed in the form of a mosaic, and the designs change from year to year.
Of Ashford's six wells only four were decorated this year. Two followed the same theme of a celebration of C S Lewis, one was a representation of Ashford in years gone by, and the last a reproduction of Picasso's Guernica painting as a reminder of the ongoing war in Ukraine. 
Also worth visiting when in Ashford is the ford by sheepwash bridge. Once, sheep were swum across the river here, the dunking helping to rid them of dirt and flies; today it's a pretty spot to sit a while or paddle.
For photos from Tissington weel-dressings a couple of weeks ago see here
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