Well Dressing Workshop

Step into a centuries-old Derbyshire tradition and try your hand at well dressing – a unique craft that transforms clay, petals and natural materials into intricate, colourful designs.

Join the Friends of Spital Cemetery, for a hands-on workshop led by ceramic artist Mary Nieder, who will guide you through the traditional techniques – from working with puddled clay to building up a design using natural materials.

You’ll create your own mini well dressing to take home, exploring a process that is both creative and deeply connected to the natural world.

Whether you’re a seasoned maker or simply curious to try something new, this session offers a welcoming and relaxed space to get involved.

Please arrive 10 minutes before the session start time

The Friends of Spital Cemetery are a voluntary group dedicated to promoting the heritage and natural environment of the cemetery for the benefit of the local community. Each year, they create a well dressing as part of Heritage Open Days, helping to keep this Derbyshire tradition alive.

Mary Nieder  is a ceramic artist and environmental art therapist based in North East Derbyshire. Her practice is rooted in clay as a material of transformation, using unglazed ‘naked’ clay and alternative firing techniques such as pit-firing and wood kilns. Through her workshops, she shares her knowledge in a practical and accessible way, inviting people to explore the creative potential of natural materials.