Description:The May Queen and her train bearers. The crowning of the May Queen is part of the Endon Well Dressing celebrations.
Endon has the the longest tradition of well dressing in Staffordshire, beginning when the stone well head was built in 1845 at the expense of Thomas Heaton, a local landowner. The well dressing formerly took place on 29th May, 'Oak Apple Day'. The vicar added the crowning of a May Queen to the ceremony in 1868, together with a Church Service and maypole dancing. By 1906 the Endon Well Dressing had become a weekend-long event. The celebrations still thrive and nowadays take place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
The ceremony of well dressing is peculiar to Derbyshire and neighbouring areas, such as the Staffordshire Moorlands. It takes place in many different villages between April and September, but many, including Newborough near Burton-upon-Trent, take place on or around May Day. Other Staffordshire villages with well dressing celebrations include Mayfield and Longnor.