Droitwich Spa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Droitwich Spa |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) Droitwich Spa, St. Andrews |
|
 Droitwich Spa
|
|
| Area | 8.366 km2 (3.230 sq mi) |
| Population | 25,027 (2021 Census) |
| • Density | 2,992/km2 (7,750/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SO895632 |
| • London | 125 miles (201 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District |
|
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DROITWICH |
| Postcode district | WR9 |
| Dialling code | 01905 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
|
Droitwich Spa (often called Droitwich) is a historic spa town in northern Worcestershire, England. It sits on the River Salwarpe. The town is about 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Birmingham and 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Worcester.
The town was known as Salinae in Roman times. Later, it was called Wyche, which came from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Hwicce. Old records called it "Saltwich." The word "Droit" (meaning "right" in French) was added when King John gave the town its special charter on August 1, 1215. The "Spa" part was added in the 1800s. This happened when John Corbett helped build the town's famous spa facilities. The River Salwarpe, which flows through Droitwich, likely gets its name from "sal" (salt) and "weorp" (to throw up). This means "the river which throws up salt," because salt water overflows from the ground.
Droitwich Spa is built on huge salt deposits. People have been taking salt from here since ancient times. The natural salt water (brine) in Droitwich is very strong. It has 2.5 pounds of salt per imperial gallon (0.25 kg/L). This is ten times saltier than sea water! Only the Dead Sea has salt water that is as strong.
Contents
History of Droitwich Spa
During the Roman era, this place was called Salinae. It was an important spot where several Roman roads met. When railways were being built in 1847, workers found Roman mosaic floors. These showed how old the settlement was.
An old text from the 800s, called Historia Brittonum, seems to describe Droitwich Spa's hot spring. It talks about a hot pool in the country of the Hwicce. This pool was surrounded by a wall of bricks and stone. People could bathe there, and the water temperature would change to what they wanted. If someone wanted a cold bath, it would be cold. If they wanted a hot bath, it would be hot. This suggests the spa was still used back then.
Droitwich was a small town until the 1960s. Its population was only about 7,000 people. But then, many people moved from Birmingham. This caused the town to grow a lot. Many new housing areas were built in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2014, more large housing projects were approved.
In July 2007, Droitwich was badly hit by floods across the UK. Very heavy rain caused the high street to flood. Many shops had to close for almost a year.
Salt and Brine Story
The Romans started taking rock salt and brine from Droitwich. This continued through the Middle Ages. Kings used to charge a salt tax until 1825. By the 1600s, a local family called Wintour owned many salt boiling pans.
Salt water (brine) naturally came to the surface in three places along the River Salwarpe. These spots are in Vines Park, right in the middle of Droitwich. This brine was very special because it was full of salt. It was easy to boil and produced a lot of salt. Because it was so valuable, the brine was divided into "shares." One share was enough to produce 8 tons of salt each year during the boiling season. When it rained, especially in winter, the rainwater would sit on top of the denser brine. This made it easy to remove the fresh water.
At first, people used buckets to get brine from the pits. The pits would refill naturally. Upwich was the deepest pit at 30 feet (9 meters) and supplied most of the brine. The pit at Netherwich was only 18 feet (5.5 meters) deep. A third pit, Middlewich, was affected by the other two and stopped being used.
In 1725, people drilled deeper into the ground. They found almost endless amounts of brine. This meant the old system of sharing brine ended. Pumps were used to bring up the brine, and salt production grew a lot. But this also caused parts of the town to sink because the ground underneath was becoming hollow.
In the mid-1800s, Droitwich became famous as a spa town. People didn't drink the spa water, which was too salty. Instead, they swam and floated in the very dense salt water. This helped their muscles relax. The first brine baths opened in 1830. Droitwich's spa water is the warmest in the UK outside of Bath. However, it's not considered a "hot spring" because its temperature is below human body temperature.
The original Brine Baths are now closed. A new brine bath opened for public use and therapy, but it also closed in 2008.
The salt industry became more modern in the 1800s. John Corbett was a key figure. He built the beautiful Chateau Impney nearby for his wife. He also helped Droitwich become a popular spa town again.
Old Town Hall
.jpg)
The Old Town Hall is on St Andrews Street. It was finished in 1826.
Industry and Shops
Getting Around (Transport)
In 1714, the first Turnpike (a road where you pay a fee) in Worcestershire opened. It went to Worcester.
Two canals meet in the town centre. These are the Droitwich Barge Canal, built in 1771 by James Brindley, and the Droitwich Junction Canal, built in 1854. The Junction canal connected Droitwich to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Both canals were closed in 1939. But after a big restoration project, they reopened in 2011.
The railway station is just outside the town centre. You can catch trains to Birmingham, Worcester, Kidderminster, and Stourbridge.
Regular buses run from the town centre to Worcester and Bromsgrove. There are also local town services and a less frequent bus to Kidderminster.
Broadcasting
About 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Droitwich is a big longwave radio broadcasting station for the UK. It's also used for medium wave broadcasts. This is the Droitwich transmitting station in Wychbold. It was built in the 1930s near Droitwich because it was close to many people in the UK. People were careful not to build the tall masts over underground salt, to avoid sinking. However, some say the huge block of salt underground actually helped the signal strength.
Shopping
Shopping in Droitwich is mainly in the traditional town centre. This includes Victoria Square, the St Andrew's Square shopping centre, and the old High Street. The High Street has local pubs and a mix of traditional shops. Farmers' markets are also held regularly in Victoria Square.
St Andrew's Square has several chain stores. In 2005, Waitrose opened a new supermarket. In 2008, a new Aldi store opened. There are also other stores like DFS. Recently, a new Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer's store opened. In 2019, a Lidl supermarket opened, adding more choices for shoppers.
Banks in the town used to include HSBC, Santander, Lloyds, and Barclays. However, HSBC and Barclays have now closed.
Fun Things to Do (Amenities)
Lido Swimming Pool
The Droitwich Spa Lido used to be an outdoor salt-water swimming pool. It closed in the late 1990s. After many discussions, work began to fix it up in 2006. It reopened on June 18, 2007. The Lido Park is still a nice place to visit. It has the Droitwich Cricket Ground and a bandstand with regular music performances.
Entertainment
The Norbury Theatre has shows all year, including a yearly pantomime. It also shows films.
On the edge of town is the famous Chateau Impney. It looks like a traditional French castle (chateau). Today, it's a hotel, restaurant, and conference centre. In Droitwich itself, the Raven Hotel is an old wattle and daub building right in the town centre.
Schools (Education)
Droitwich Spa has a three-tier school system. This means there is one high school (Droitwich Spa High School). There are two middle schools (Witton Middle School and Westacre Middle School). And there are nine first schools for younger children. There is also Dodderhill School, which is a private school for girls. In 2019, it joined with Royal Grammar School (RGS) Worcester and is now called RGS Dodderhill.
Some children from Droitwich also go to schools outside the town. These include Worcester's Royal Grammar School and King's School. Others travel to places like Birmingham or Bromsgrove for school.
News and Media
Local news and TV shows for the area come from BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. TV signals are received from transmitters in Bromsgrove or Sutton Coldfield.
Local radio stations include BBC Hereford and Worcester, Heart West Midlands, Radio Wyvern, and others like Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire.
The Droitwich Standard is the town's weekly local newspaper.
Churches and Worship
Droitwich has six churches. One is the Anglican church of St Andrew's. It's a Norman building, and St Richard was probably baptised there. The church tower was taken down in the 1920s because the ground was sinking. St. Augustine's at Dodderhill was finished in 1220. It was rebuilt in the 1700s on a hill. This spot used to be a Roman fort and an older Anglo-Saxon church.
St Peter's Church was built where an old Saxon church stood. Parts of it, like the chancel, are from Norman times. It has a memorial to Edward Winslow, one of the Pilgrim Fathers, who was born in the area.
St Nicholas church was built in Victorian times near the railway station. The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria looks like Roman churches from Italy. Its inside walls are almost completely covered in beautiful mosaic and marble.
There are also other chapels, including Methodist, Baptist, and a busy Salvation Army hall. In 2019, the old Emmanuel Church building was replaced with a new, modern hall.
Sports and Clubs
Droitwich leisure centre at Briar Mill has a gym, sports halls, a swimming pool, and squash courts. Outside, there are football and astroturf pitches with lights. The centre also has a squash league.
Droitwich Spa Football Club started in 1985. They play in the West Midlands (Regional) League. Their home ground is at Briar Mill. The club also has junior teams for different age groups.
The Droitwich Rugby Football Club has been playing rugby union since 1972. Droitwich Archery Society, which started in 1967, is based at the Rugby Football Ground. Other local sports include boxing, judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Ju Jitsu, and tennis.
Vines Park Bowling Club is a green bowling club by the canal in Vines Park. You can also go bowling in the Lido Park. The Droitwich Spa Pool League is based at the Fox and Goose pub.
Droitwich Spa also has a cricket club with several teams. Droitwich Tennis Club (started 1920) held two important tournaments in the past.
Location Map
 |
Kidderminster, Bridgnorth | Bromsgrove, Dudley | Redditch, Birmingham | |
| Leominster, Llandrindod Wells |  |
Studley, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick | ||
 Droitwich Spa  |
||||
 |
||||
| Worcester, Malvern, Hereford | Worcester, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Bristol | Alcester, Evesham, Witney, Oxford |
Famous People from Droitwich Spa
- Ginny Lemon, a drag queen known from Rupauls Drag Race (UK).
- John Bickerton, a professional golfer on the European Tour.
- John Corbett, known as the "Salt King" for his work in the salt industry.
- Ashley Giles, an England cricketer. He lives in Droitwich and was made an honorary citizen in 2005.
- Charlie Green, a singer who appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2008.
- John Heminges, born in Droitwich around 1566. He was an actor in William Shakespeare's theatre company.
- Dean Holdsworth, a former professional footballer for Wimbledon.
- Rik Mayall, a famous actor and writer from shows like The Young Ones. He lived in Droitwich as a child.
- Matt Neal, a Touring Car champion, who lives in Droitwich.
- Thomas Rainsborough, an important figure in the English Civil War. He was a leader for the Levellers.
- St Richard, who became the Bishop of Chichester, was born in Droitwich in 1197.
- Edward Winslow, one of the Pilgrim Fathers, was born in the town in 1595.
- Rebecca Redfern, a visually-impaired para-swimmer and a gold medallist at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Twin Towns
Droitwich Spa is connected with these towns:
- Bad Ems, Germany
- Voiron, France (since 2010)
