Landscape artist John Constable, esteemed naturalist Sir David Attenborough and children’s favourite Paddington Bear are celebrated in Holymoorside’s well dressings which are on display until September 13.

The main Hipper Well Dressing honours the 250th anniversary of the birth of Constable, recreating his famous painting The Hay Wain. The Whispering Well celebrates Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, while the Children’s Well features Paddington Bear to mark the centenary of the birth of author Michael Bond.

John Botham, who chairs the Holymoorside Well Dressing Committee, said: “At Holymoorside we only use flowers and leaves from local gardens and hedgerows, so the drought made finding enough flowers particularly difficult this year. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone in the village who responded when we put out another plea for hydrangeas – although it did help that The Hay Wain required rather a lot of brown and green!

“We chose The Hay Wain after the success of recreating Monet’s Water Lilies two years ago. Reproducing a painting using natural materials is a real challenge – especially the water – but I think the volunteers have achieved another amazing result.

“And the well dressing seemed to work before we'd even finished it. By Thursday morning the drought was very much over and we were finishing the flowering in pouring rain. I haven’t been that wet since I represented Autumn in the gala parade of 1976!”

Thanks to a fantastic number of volunteers, the group was once again able to create two adult well dressings, while local children themselves flowered the Paddington design.

Almost all donations received this year will go towards the desilting and restoration of the village dam, an important part of Holymoorside for the whole community.

The well dressings provided the perfect accompaniment to the return of Holymoorside Gala, which received an overwhelmingly positive response following its 26-year absence.