Ascension Day Bus Trip to Tissington
A bus load of villagers from Ratby enjoyed a lovely day out to Tissington, Derbyshire which was organized by Ratby Church Warden Jo Mangham & her husband Keith. Villagers went to join in the church service which is held every year to bless the wells.
Tissington is known as the mother place of well dressing and visitors come from all over the world to witness the annual well dressing ceremony. This takes place on Ascension Day, when large crowds gather to see the wells blessed.
Dressing consists of erecting boards covered in clay, into which thousands of flower petals are pressed to create an elaborate tableaux of some biblical or topographical scene.
It is probable that well dressing took place here in 1348, in thanksgiving for the villages's escape from the Black Death plague, which the villagers attibuted to the purity of the water.
Tissington is one of the prettiest and the most unspoilt villages not only in Derbyshire but the whole of the country.
Since the reign of Elizabeth 1. the Fitzherbert family have managed the village, home is an elegant Jacobean Manor, built in 1609 by Francis Fitzherbert.
St. Mary's Church rises steeply above the main road through the village with a sparkling stream flowing close to the entrance to the churchyard.
Built in the 12th century, but heavily restored 700 years later, it has a massive Norman tower, with four foot thick walls and a well preserved Norman doorway. Inside there is a baroque style 17th century memorial to the Fitzherbert family, a finely carved communion rail and an early Norman font, which bears crude symbolic carvings.
 The Good Samaritan Well Dressing
St. Marys Church with the village stream in the foreground
Ratby villagers walking to St. Mary's Church for the service of Well Blessing
held on Ascension Day, Thursday 21st May 2009
Visitors admiring Samson's Revenge Well Dressing
 Samson's Revenge Well Dressing
 'Old Workmen's Boots' filled with plants on a village garden wall
 More Boots
Candle Making Workshop in the Old Forge
The Village Hall serving delicious food
 Jesus Clears the Temple
A narrow pathway through the village
 Billy Goat Gruff with friends!
 The British Friesian Cattle Society
1909 - 2009: Coffin Well
 The Alter St. Mary's Church
The Passover Well Dressing which was made by the local children
 View's through the village
Mr & Mrs James & Jemima Puddleduck
I want to play ball please!
Ask a Policeman!
 Tissington Pond
Wooden boards are soaked for several days in the pond before they are covered in prepared clay.
Local clay is collected and mixed with salt. It is trodden down by one of the village men (like grapes) to make it pliable.
The mixture is placed onto the boards and smoothed down.
A paper pattern of the scene to be depicted has been designed and this is placed over the wet clay.
Following the lines of the pattern, holes are punched through the paper into the clay. Using the outlines created on the clay as a template thousands of flower petals, berries, pine nuts and foliage are transformed into a beautiful well dressing.
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