GUISELEY’S Well Blessing and Community Celebration is set to become an annual feature after the success of the first event.

Organisers have already provisionally booked a date for next year - Saturday, April 29.

The inaugural event, which took place at the end of April, was organised by the community project Yarns Well Spun, which was founded by artist Abi James. The project has been funded by Leeds 2023 for the My World, My City, My Neighbourhood scheme.

The focal point was a 10ft piece of Yarn Art created by more than 65 local people and made up of over 430 hand-stitched pieces of crochet. This was displayed over the well.

The event was opened with an Interfaith Well Blessing Ceremony by Rev Helen James. It was followed by a heritage talk from Jennifer Inskip-Kirkby, music from Rosie Weston, Alex Turner and Kevin James, and choir performances from Just Sing and Warblers. The event also featured street theatre and craft activities from Codswallop, and planting activities from Incredible Edible Aireborough.

In a speech at the event Abi said: “We are gathered together to celebrate this historical and unique place in Guiseley - The Guiseley Wells.

“I discovered this special place 14 years ago and was amazed by the scale of The Wells and intrigued by its history.

“Thanks to this project I have discovered some wonderful facts about The Wells from the fabulous people who help to maintain The Wells, namely Geoff, Peter Woods and Bill Hudson and those who have spent so much time and energy in the last few years to create our lovely Wells Pocket Park, thanks go to Jennifer Inskip-Kirkby, Lynda and Roger Garnett, Eleanor Thompson, Becky Mears and Incredible Edible Aireborough for looking after the herbs in the planters so well and finally to Guiseley in Bloom for keeping the planters looking so bright and beautiful. They look so superb today.”

Local historian Jennifer Inskip-Kirkby told the gathering : “Indeed this is a ‘special place’ of natural springs and we are very lucky to still have it, in the late 1990’s there was a Council move to wall up the wells, because they’d become dilapidated and dangerous – imagine, this number 1 attraction on Trip Advisor, gone – like so many of the beautiful, flower bedecked, becks running through our area from hills to dales– now sadly hidden.

“The Wells were saved by taking them into the ownership of the Freeholders and Residents of Guiseley – they are not Council owned they belong to you. A team from Guiseley Wells Society led by Geoff Brook, set about restoring the Wells fabric with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“Later, in 2015, we in the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum set about turning the tarmac car park over there into a pocket park for people to stop here a while in Guiseley’s heart and be tranquil. Again it is not in Council ownership but looked after by locals.”

In her blessing the Rev Helen James said: “Thank you, Abi and the Guiseley Wells’ Committee for inviting me here today. This crocheted art installation looks magnificent– congratulations to all those involved. It is a wonderful tribute, really celebrating the creativity within this community and honouring the ancient water in these wells that have sustained this town for hundreds of years.

“So now let us quieten down for this special well blessing ceremony. Let us move from head to heart. Allow yourself to feel the loving energy within this community.”

She added: “Let us pause for a moment and honour the ancestors of this land, Mother Earth and be mindful of the precious, sacred nature of water. As custodians of this land let us continue to take care of the wells for future generations.”

Local schools got involved in the Well Blessing and Celebration by writing poems about The Wells. The “amazing” entries were judged by members of The Wells Committee.

The winning poem was by Arthur Wilkinson, aged 11, with highly commended prizes for Nellie Fitzgerald-Cooke, aged 10, Alice James, aged 10 and Alethea Carr, aged 9.

All received poetry books as prizes and their poems were framed and displayed at the Wells. Abi said they were now hoping to incorporate the words from the winning poem into art work at The Wells later this year.

Anyone who wants to get involved in the community yarn art projects can contact Abi at daisycroftcrafts@gmail.com or on the facebook page@daisycroftcrafts