The
historic town of Droitwich Spa is known for being a Brine Spa.
Surrounded by rural countryside and approx 15 miles south of
Birmingham, Droitwich is a town of great charm and character, offering
both visitors and locals plenty to see and enjoy.
Droitwich was known as "Salinae" by the Romans - this means the place
of salt, salt was originally produced here by prehistoric salt makers.
Droitwich developed as a fashionable Spa through the efforts of the
leading entrepreneur of the day - John Corbett, the member of
parliament and Droitwich "Salt King", who built the truely magnificent
Chateau Impney (now a hotel) with its castle turrets and splendid
French gardens.
The
natural Droitwich brine contains 2 1/2 lbs of salt per gallon - ten
time stronger than sea water and only rivaled by the Dead Sea. The
historic Brine baths built in 1876 are known for their therapeutic and
remedial benefits, you can float in the water weightless in the warm
brine of the bathing pool.
Droitwich High Street boasts many timber-framed buildings. The heart of
the town is Victoria Square. The magnificent Worcestershire Brine Baths
Hotel and the attractive Raven Hotel can be found here as can St
Richard's House, once the entrance to the old St Andrew's Brine Baths.
The
original Brine baths no longer exist, but today's visitor can
experience the benefits of great natural resource in the new Brine Bath
located off Victoria Square - opened in 1985, and the first new Spa
facility built in Britain this century.
Now
Droitwich Spa boasts a thriving shopping centre, and an excellent
variety of sporting facilities. The Lido swimming pool is open in the
Summer months which has natural Droitwich brine still used in it, to
give users the taste oft he seaside in the heart of rural
Worcestershire.
