Richards house, dates from the 1930s and consists of a very friendly and welcoming tourist information centre, a fascinating permanent local history exhibition, bbc radio room and has a small but. Excavations in the 1970s and 1980s uncovered extensive remains of early droitwich and showed us to be a virtual time capsule for early evidence of the salt making industry. Droitwich spa, worcestershire known as salinae by the romans, this town in the heart of england gained the name droitwich when it was granted royal charter by king john in 1215 and the word spa was added in the 19th century when the towns spa facilities were developed, thanks to the natural brine springs which emanate from subterranean. We need your help to bring the historic brine baths back to droitwich spa. It is based on triassic marls and sandstone stratified with beds of rock salt from which emanate springs of brine. Official facebook account for droitwich library uk. Even today the town boasts an outdoor saltwater swimming pool, the droitwich spa lido. Its location, around the brine springs in waterlogged conditions has ensured the survival of a variety of features, including buried structures, wooden artefacts and. My parents used to run a cafe in the high street, but my friends and i used to gather in the cosy cafe many great times to remember.
The towns second brine baths complex, the st andrews brine baths opened in 1887 with its entrance being st richards house in the centre of the thriving town close to the worcestershire and the raven hotels. But this too was closed in december 2008 due to a dispute between the operator and wychavon district council over health and safety inspections. Droitwich oral history project droitwich, worcestershire. Prices can also vary depending the time of day, route and class you book. Eventually the brine baths closed and no spa facility existed for over ten years. The natural droitwich brine contained 2 12 lbs of salt per gallon ten time stronger than sea water and only rivaled by the dead sea.
The photo of droitwich winter gardens brings back memories of the time 1965 1970. Buy bath real photographic rp collectable worcestershire postcards and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. Many of the incredibly well preserved finds are on show in our museum, which tells the remarkable history of droitwich. The royal baths closed in the 1930s and the saint andrews baths in 1975. Richards house, dates from the 1930s and consists of a very friendly and welcoming tourist information centre, a fascinating permanent local history exhibition, bbc radio room and has a small but comprehensive range of. To that end it entered into a joint venture scheme with the private sector and a brand new private hospital and spa brine baths was built. The history of salt production at droitwich spa the romans came to droitwich to get salt, which was part of a soldiers pay the natural brine at droitwich is ten times saltier than sea water only the waters of the dead sea are as concentrated. The original brine baths have long since closed, but a new brine bath part of the droitwich spa private hospital opened to the public for relaxation and hydrotherapy. The historic brine baths built in 1876 were known for their therapeutic and remedial benefits, you could float in the water weightless in the warm brine of the bathing pool. The droitwich food bank helping individuals and families. The lido was originally built in the 1930s and the building features an artdeco style interior. Dec 28, 20 the royal brine baths, sadly now redundant, opened in 1836 and people flocked here to bathe in the mineralrich waters.
Nov 15, 2017 droitwich saw great changes in the nineteenth century, largely brought about by salt king john corbett. In 1985, the towns shabby 1830s brine bath was demolished and. Droitwich spa the postcard collection paul jones lrps. The first baths opened in the 1830s, taking advantage of the natural brine springs that have been used in the town since roman times. Royal and st andrews brine baths, and estates of thomas. In britain, the suffix wich in a placename means it was once a source of salt, as in sandwich and norwich. By the 1920s the salt industry had left droitwich, leaving the town firmly established as a spa town. Droitwich heritage and information centre at st richards house, victoria square, is open daily from 10am4pm monday to saturdays. Britains top 10 georgian spa towns best of british history. All through history, availability of salt has been pivotal to civilization. Droitwich brine is the strongest natural salt water known, and contains 30% natural salts. Local campaign to bring back the droitwich spa brine baths. The droitwich salt making industry is exceptional in preserving evidence for salt production from the iron age until the 19th century.
This made droitwich spa a famous spa town throughout the major part of the 20th century. Droitwich saw great changes in the nineteenth century, largely brought about by salt king john corbett. The timbered buildings of droitwich spa related articles. The panel upon the wall of wilkinsons depicts droitwich spas roman history until the early modern period.
The brine was collected and evaporated to make salt. Graham davis is professor of history at bath spa university. The chateau the salt king built for love commercial production of salt stopped in 1922. Brine bathing remained fashionable up until the second world war that made droitwich spa a popular destination for visitors from both home and abroad. Along with other spa towns and resorts, droitwich saw a gradual decline in popularity after the second world war. Salters hall, st andrews brine baths, and the worcestershire hotel were all built around victoria square and the raven hotel was converted from the old st andrews manor house. A extraordinary collection of historic photos and maps of droitwich spa, the droitwich area and worcestershire.
In response to the latest government announcement to support social distancing and prevent the spread of infection from covid 19, all worcestershire libraries will. I hope that my interpretation of the droitwich story will inspire campaigners nationally. When the lido opened in 1935 it was heated to the exact temperature of the mediterranean sea. The baths, owned by the private bmi droitwich spa hospital, have been. Richards house, dates from the 1930s and consists of a very friendly and welcoming tourist information centre, a. A cottage hospital was established in 1881 to extend to the poor the benefit of the brine baths. The new brine baths complex opened in 1985 and this was located just behind st richards house and enjoyed by the public. The droitwich spa heritage and information centre is housed on the former brine baths site, which was first established in the 1880s. A pictorial history pictorial history series 9780850339024. Droitwich salt is sourced from one of the oldest and purest brine springs in the world, and is part of worcestershire history. He led strenuous efforts to develop the town as a spa.
The natron valley was a key region that supported the egyptian empire to its north, because it supplied it with a kind of salt that came to be called by its. Worcestershire archive and archaeology service the national. Buy online, view images and see past prices for leonard campbell taylor 18741969. But in the park there is a stone statue of st richard of chichester, who was born in droitwich and according to legend blessed one of the brine pits when it ran dry. Popped into droitwich recently and was told of all the attractions to visit by. Plans to move droitwich spa brine bath revealed bbc news. Photo of droitwich spa, st andrews brine baths 1931, from the francis frith collection. There has been hope they would reopen due to a campaign by sobbs save our brine baths. Bath real photographic rp collectable worcestershire.
Plans to move droitwich spas brine baths to a new site have been announced. The gwr railway station, of the old oxford, worcester and wolverhampton railway, was rebuilt and visitors flocked to the town to use the spa facilities. The brine baths in droitwich spa, worcestershire, date back to the late 19th century they were built to cater for the victorian craze for water cures. The brine baths contain over 1kg of salt in every 4 litres of water almost 10 times the strength of seawater and only the dead sea supports a greater concentration. Corbett also developed the famous brine baths, turning droitwich into one of the most popular spa towns in the country. At churchfields saltworks, natural pure brine is crystallized using renewable energy, winning a great taste award. Droitwich spa droitwich spa is a historic town within the wychavon district of northern worcestershire, on the banks of the river salwarpe. Leonard campbell taylor british, 18741969, droitwich the brine baths spa, 1925, 39. Droitwich brine was always, therefore, a very valuable resource and its ownership was coveted and closely guarded. The droitwich spa brine baths complex opening hours 2020. The droitwich spa lido is a lido in droitwich spa, worcestershire, england. Droitwich spa library worcestershire county council. Later he conducted them round the salt works in droitwich.
He has been the author or editor of a number of books and articles on baths history and is currently working on a collection of essays entitled bath exposed. In addition, he was author of a number of books on the value of saline treatment for rheumatism and kindred complaints, his most widely circulated being the brine springs of droitwich. The postcard collection charts the towns proud and distinctive history through a fascinating selection of old postcards, photographs and prints, showing what life was like for the past residents of droitwich and its rural district. Brine baths could return to droitwich spa bbc news. A privately run droitwich brine baths took over in the 1980s but was closed again in 2008. Droitwich spa has a long history dating back to prehistoric times. Droitwich author delves into towns history in new book. Early real photo postcard st andrews brine baths droitwich spa worcestershire. Michelin star chef brad carter is the droitwich salt ambas. Something in the water at droitwich travel news travel. During this period the town evolved from an industrial town to a spa town with two brine bath complexes and numerous hotels and guest houses. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. The droitwich spa brine baths complex, st andrews road, droitwich.
He has also written extensively on irish migration. Droitwich spa became the only saltwater spa town in britain when john corbett created the first spa, st andrews brine baths, in 1887 as part of the raven hotel. He built himself a grand house near droitwich spa called chateau impney, now a hotel and conference centre. Leonard campbell taylor british, 18741969, the peak district peveril castle, 1924, 39. Shops cars health fitness eco money business faith. Brine baths a warm pool with naturally salted water is known as abrine bath. Jan 21, 2010 the history of salt production at droitwich spa the romans came to droitwich to get salt, which was part of a soldiers pay the natural brine at droitwich is ten times saltier than sea water only the waters of the dead sea are as concentrated. Richards house, dates from the 1930s and consists of a very friendly and welcoming tourist information centre, a fascinating permanent local history exhibition, bbc radio.
It is one of the few remaining inland, openair saltwater swimming pools in the uk brief history. A range of souvenirs can be purchased along with numerous local history books. Droitwich spa it is the salt deposits under the town which have made it famous. We started talking about the droitwich brine baths which some of us were taken to as children and then with our children. A history quiz about droitwich spa and the locality. Later the town changed its focus to the restorative aspect of the brine springs, relabeling itself droitwich spa. Droitwich spa photos, maps, books, memories of droitwich. Bbc the history of salt production at droitwich spa. The pool itself was filled with diluted brine, pumped from brine streams beneath the town. During this period the town evolved from an industrial town to a spa town with two brine. St andrews road, droitwich, no information avaliable, wr9 8dn tel. Andrews house and turned it into the raven hotel and built the worcestershire brine baths hotel, both in droitwich spa. The borough of droitwich was englands major salt producing centre for centuries, and is the most frequently mentioned town 11 times in the domesday book. Droitwich, worcestershire genealogy heraldry and history.
Droitwich spa heritage centre groups visit worcestershire. Amongst the historical events featured is king ethelbald granting evesham abbey the right to a droitwich salt pit, king john granting salt rights to the burgess of droitwich in, st richard in his bishops robes and edward winslow, pilgrim father. A the time of his death in 1901, it is estimated that john corbett owned half of droitwich. Droitwich spa brine baths a friend told me about this, and i thought they were joking a brine baths in the west midlands, similar to the dead sea. It is situated on what is now known as the worcestershire plain in the salwarpe river valley. Salt museum in south worcestershire droitwich spa wr9 8aw.
Like the dead sea, it is incredibly buoyant midvictorian bathers were particularly keen on languishing in droitwich brine. A history quiz about droitwich spa and the locality over the years droitwich spa has been known by several names like salinae or saltwich and droitwich so the reference to droitwich spa in questions may not be the name the town was known by in the time period to which the question relates. Spent many weekends enjoying the music saw the yarbirds group live. Interest in brine continues in droitwich with proposals to build a brine experience to celebrate the towns salty history. These pools can be up to ten times stronger in salt concentration than seawater so are great for floatation.
The brine spa at droitwich was owned by a local authority wychavon district council in membership of the federation, and its feasibility studies showed that spa treatments were again in demand in the uk. Droitwich brine is pumped up from an underground lake, and is 10 times the strength of natural sea water. Bath collectable worcestershire postcards for sale ebay. Photo of droitwich spa, st andrews brine baths 1931.
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