Peak District 360° Bollington & White Nancy

White Nancy is a famous local landmark in the town of Bollington, Cheshire. It is positioned on the northern front of the Saddle of Kerridge and commands widely admired views of Cheshire. On clear days, The Manchester cityscape, Jodrell Bank, Winter Hill in Lancashire and Snowdonia in Wales can be seen.

The edifice was originally an open summer house built by the Gaskell Family of Ingersley Hall, Bollington. It is fairly certain that it commemorates the Battle of Waterloo, however the origins of the name are uncertain. Many believe the Nancy in question was a member of the Gaskell family, or perhaps the horse that laboured to cart the building stone to construct White Nancy.

White Nancy has been decorated on numerous occasions. In 2002 it was stylised with the Union Flag to siginify the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, as a plum pudding during the festive season, and bright pink in the year 2005. During World War II White Nancy was painted brown and green in order that German pilots would not be able to navigate by the highly visible landmark.

Well dressing is a custom practised in rural England in which wells, springs or other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals. The custom is most closely associated with the Peak District area. Read more about Well dressing.

Well Dressing events calendar