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56-587: Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich / ˈ d r ɔɪ t . w ɪ tʃ / ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire , England, on the River Salwarpe . It is located approximately 22 miles (35 km) south-west of Birmingham and 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Worcester . The town was called Salinae in Roman times, then later called Wyche, derived from

112-796: A Spa. Droitwich's first workhouse was set up on Holloway in 1688 and the last finally abolished in the 1920s. Droitwich Lunatic Asylum was established in 1791. Records at the Worcestershire County Record Office show its presence in 1837 to 1838. An advert in the Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association (the forerunner of the British Medical Association ) in 1844, records that Martin Ricketts, of Droitwich,

168-546: A building styled on the Roman basilica churches of Ravenna in Italy, has the feature of the interior walls being covered almost entirely of mosaic and marble designed by Gabriel Pippet . There are also a number of other chapels including Methodist, Baptist and a vibrant Salvation Army hall. In 2019 the tired 1970s Emmanuel Church building at Chawson was demolished and was replaced with a new modern hall. Droitwich leisure centre at Briar Mill has gym facilities, sports halls,

224-543: A dense, concentrated salt solution, at the town's brine baths (first opened in 1830). The spa water at Droitwich is the warmest in the United Kingdom outside Bath , but it does not meet the most common definition of a hot spring as the water is below standard human body temperature. The original Brine Baths have long since closed, but a new brine bath (part of the Droitwich Spa private hospital) opened to

280-457: A laboratory to determine their physical properties, or to assess levels of various chemical constituents or contaminants. Typically, a borehole used as a water well is completed by installing a vertical pipe (casing) and well screen to keep the borehole from caving. This also helps prevent surface contaminants from entering the borehole and protects any installed pump from drawing in sand and sediment. Oil and natural gas wells are completed in

336-663: A later Anglo-Saxon church. St Peter's, built on the site of a former Saxon church, has parts, including the chancel, that date from Norman times, and has a memorial to Edward Winslow , one of the Pilgrim Fathers , who was born in the parish. St Nicholas was built in Victorian times near the railway station ; and the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria , on

392-715: A mass of native rock. The technique is called seasonal thermal energy storage . Media that can be used for this technique ranges from gravel to bedrock. There can be a few to several hundred boreholes, and in practice, depths have ranged from 50 to 300 metres (150 to 1,000 ft). Borehole drilling has a long history. By at least the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), the Chinese used deep borehole drilling for mining and other projects. The British sinologist and historian Michael Loewe states that borehole sites could reach as deep as 600 metres (2,000 ft). K.S. Tom describes

448-437: A similar, albeit usually more complex, manner. As detailed in proxy (climate) , borehole temperature measurements at a series of different depths can be effectively " inverted " (a mathematical formula to solve a matrix equation) to help estimate historic surface temperatures. Clusters of small-diameter boreholes equipped with heat exchangers made of plastic PEX pipe can be used to store heat or cold between opposing seasons in

504-732: A spa town. Spa towns in South Africa include: Spa towns in Spain include: Taiwan is home to a number of towns and cities with tourism infrastructure centered on hot springs. These include: There are several spa towns in Turkey . The most famous of these is Pamukkale, Denizli where the Pamukkale thermal springs are located. Some but not all UK spa towns contain "Spa", "Wells", or "Bath" in their names, e.g., Matlock Bath . Some towns are designated Spa Heritage Towns. Two out of four of

560-475: A swimming pool and squash courts . There are also outside football and astroturf pitches with floodlighting. The centre also runs a squash league. Droitwich Spa Football Club was formed in 1985 and currently plays in the West Midlands (Regional) League 1st Division. Their home ground is also at Briar Mill, but due to ground grading regulations the club now plays its home games at Stourport Swifts, until

616-641: A year later. Rock salt and brine was extracted by the Romans and this continued through to the Middle Ages . A salt tax was levied by the king until it was abolished in 1825. A local family named Wintour owned up to 25 salt evaporating pans in the area by the 1600s. Brine rose naturally to the surface at three sites along the River Salwarpe within Vines Park in the centre of Droitwich. Unusually

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672-630: Is a green bowling club situated by the canal in Vines Park. Bowling also available in the Lido Park Droitwich Spa Pool League is headquartered at the Fox and Goose pub on Westlands. Droitwich Spa also has a cricket club in which they support four Saturday teams and two on a Sunday. Droitwich Tennis Club (f.1920), staged two notable tournament throughout its history the Droitwich Open that ran from 1928 to 1939, and

728-407: Is also the private Dodderhill School (formerly named Whitford Hall and Dodderhill), an independent school for girls from 3 to 16 years (with some boys present in the nursery school). During 2019 the school merged with Royal Grammar School (RGS) Worcester, under the name RGS Dodderhill . Droitwich children are also educated at schools outside the town including Worcester 's Royal Grammar School and

784-403: Is just outside the town centre with trains to Birmingham , Worcester , Kidderminster and Stourbridge . Regular buses operate from the town centre to Worcester and Bromsgrove along with town services and an infrequent service (133) to Kidderminster . These are operated by various operators. 3 mi (5 km) north-east of Droitwich is the central longwave broadcasting facility for

840-686: Is known for its more than 500 mineral springs, including the hottest spring in the Balkans at Sapareva Banya - 103 °C. Other famous spa towns include Sandanski , Hisarya , Bankya , Devin , Kyustendil , Varshets , Velingrad . In Bulgarian , the word for a spa is баня (transliterated banya ). Harrison Hot Springs is one of the oldest among 18 in British Columbia; there are also two in Alberta and one in Ontario. In Croatia ,

896-687: Is now a hotel, restaurant and conference centre. In Droitwich, the Raven Hotel is a wattle and daub hotel that holds a central position within the town. The Droitwich Spa pyramid of schools works on a three tier system , with one high school : ( Droitwich Spa High School ); two middle schools (Witton Middle School and Westacre Middle School); and nine first schools (Chawson, Cutnall Green, Hindlip, Ombersley, St. Peter's, St. Joseph's (a Primary School feeding into Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester), Tibberton, Westlands—originally Boycott Farm First School—and Wychbold First Schools). There

952-638: Is rich in thermal waters with health benefits, and many spa towns are popular tourist destinations. Budapest has several spas , including Turkish style spas dating back to the 16th century. Eger also has a Turkish spa. Other famous spas include the ones at Hévíz , Harkány , Bük , Hajdúszoboszló , Gyula , Bogács , Bükkszék , Zalakaros , the Cave Bath at Miskolctapolca and the Zsóry-fürdő at Mezőkövesd . In Italy , spa towns, called città termale (from Latin thermae ), are very numerous all over

1008-514: Is the largest spa town in Germany. The most popular spa towns in Greece are Aidipsos , Agkistro, Serres , Loutraki , Kamena Vourla , Kimolos , Loutra Kyllinis , Sidirokastro, Serres , Lakkos Milos , Loutrochori, Aridaia, Pella (Pozar) In Hungary , the word fürdő or the more archaic füred ("bath"), fürdőváros ("spa town") or fürdőhely ("bathing place") implies a spa town. Hungary

1064-531: Is the town's weekly local newspaper. There are six churches in Droitwich including the Anglican church of St Andrew's, a Norman building where St Richard was probably baptised. The church tower was demolished in the 1920s after becoming dangerous due to land subsidence . St. Augustine 's at Dodderhill , completed in 1220 and rebuilt in the 18th century on a hill, was the site of a former Roman fort and

1120-663: The Central Highlands of Victoria . Most are in and around Daylesford and Hepburn Springs . Daylesford and Hepburn Springs call themselves "Spa Country" and the "Spa Centre of Australia". In Queensland , many towns have mineral springs created by artesian bores into the Great Artesian Basin , often the only or primary water supply to the towns. Some of these towns had periods of popularity as spa towns, including Ararmac , Barcaldine , Dalby , Helidon , Innot Hot Springs , and Muckadilla , mostly in

1176-750: The Droitwich Canal , two canals met in the town centre. These are the Droitwich Barge Canal built by James Brindley in 1771 and the Droitwich Junction Canal built in 1854. The Junction canal linked Droitwich to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal . The canals were abandoned in 1939 but a restoration program saw them re-opened in 2011. The railway station , formerly on the Great Western Railway ,

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1232-543: The Droitwich Open Hard Courts from 1968 to 1974. Droitwich Spa is twinned with: Spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring ). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He became interested in the curative properties of

1288-803: The King's School , Hawford Lodge, the Grange, Bromsgrove School with others typically travelling to Birmingham, Kidderminster, Hagley and Stourbridge by rail. Regional local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from either the Bromsgrove or Sutton Coldfield TV transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Hereford and Worcester , Heart West Midlands , Radio Wyvern , Capital Mid-Counties , Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire , Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire , and Smooth West Midlands . The Droitwich Standard

1344-671: The Anglo-Saxon Hwicce kingdom, referred to as "Saltwich" according to Anglo-Saxon charters, with the Droit (meaning "right" in French) added when the town was given its charter on 1 August 1215 by King John . The "Spa" was added in the 19th century when John Corbett developed the town's spa facilities. The River Salwarpe running through Droitwich is likely derived from sal meaning "salt" and weorp which means "to throw up" - i.e. "the river which throws up salt" - which overflows from

1400-635: The English towns granted the title "Royal", Royal Leamington Spa and Royal Tunbridge Wells , are spa towns. Terms used in various countries: Borehole Engineers and environmental consultants use the term borehole to collectively describe all of the various types of holes drilled as part of a geotechnical investigation or environmental site assessment (a so-called Phase II ESA). This includes holes advanced to collect soil samples, water samples or rock cores, to advance in situ sampling equipment, or to install monitoring wells or piezometers . Samples collected from boreholes are often tested in

1456-551: The Helidon Spa falling into disuse by 1994. Many towns in Queensland continue to provide bathing facilities fed by hot springs, but these are promoted as relaxing holiday activities rather than as medical treatments. Brazil has a growing number of spa towns. The traditional ones are: Águas de Lindoia , Serra Negra , Águas de São Pedro , Caxambu , Poços de Caldas , Caldas Novas , Araxá , and São Lourenço . Bulgaria

1512-612: The Russian island Sakhalin . The Chayvo Z-44 extended-reach well took the title of the world's longest borehole on 27 August 2012. Z-44's total measured depth is 12,376 metres (40,604 ft). However, ERD wells are more shallow than the Kola Borehole, owing to a large horizontal displacement. In July 2023, China began drilling deep boreholes, one at the Sichuan Basin expected to reach 10,520 metres (34,510 ft) into

1568-474: The UK, ( Wychbold BBC transmitter), which is also used for transmissions in the medium wave range; see Droitwich transmitting station . The transmitting station was sited near Droitwich, which was close to UK centres of population when it was established in the 1930s. Considerable care was taken to avoid placing the masts above underground brine, due to the risk of subsidence; however, there are anecdotal reports that

1624-473: The affix). Portugal is well known by famous spa towns throughout of the country. Due to its high quality, as well as the landscape where are located, the most important ones are: In Romania , the word Băile implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Romania are Băile Herculane , Băile Felix , Mangalia , Covasna , Călimănești & Borsec . Serbia is known for its many spa cities. Some of

1680-966: The best known springs are the Vrnjačka Banja , Bukovička Banja , Vrujci , Sokobanja and Niška Banja . The hottest spring in Serbia is at Vranjska Banja (96°C) In Serbia, the word Banja implies a spa town. Slovakia is well known by its spa towns. The most famous is the city of Piešťany in Trnava Region . Other notable spa towns in Slovakia include: Spa towns in Slovenia include Rogaška Slatina , Radenci , Čatež ob Savi , Dobrna , Dolenjske Toplice, Šmarješke Toplice, Moravske Toplice , Rimske Toplice , Laško and Topolšica . They offer accommodation in hotels, apartments, bungalows, and camp sites. The Slovenian words terme or toplice imply

1736-401: The brine was fully saturated with sodium chloride, and was extremely valuable because it was economic to boil, and the yield of salt was high. Because of its value the brine was divided into shares, one share comprising 6,912 imperial gallons (31,420 L) which produced eight long tons (8.1 t) of salt annually in the set boiling period. When it rained, particularly in the winter when brine

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1792-426: The central St Andrew's Square shopping precinct are several chain stores. On 14 July 2005, Waitrose opened a new supermarket in the grounds of the old covered market, directly behind the heavily subsided High Street. In 2008, a new Aldi store opened on the small retail park by Roman Way while the new Parkridge Retail Park was opened in 2007 with two new stores, Carpetright , since closed, and Land of Leather . There

1848-578: The country because of the intense geological activity of the territory. These places were known and used since the Roman age. Most spa towns in Poland are located in the Lesser Poland and Lower Silesian Voivodeships. Some of them have an affix " Zdrój " in their name (written with hyphen or separately), meaning "water spring", to denote their spa status, but this is not a general rule (e.g. Ciechocinek and Inowrocław are spa towns, but do not use

1904-608: The drilling process: "The Chinese method of deep drilling was accomplished by a team of men jumping on and off a beam to impact the drilling bit while the boring tool was rotated by buffalo and oxen." This was the same method used for extracting petroleum in California during the 1860s (i.e. "kicking her down"). A Western Han dynasty bronze foundry discovered in Xinglong, Hebei had nearby mining shafts which reached depths of 100 metres (330 ft) with spacious mining areas;

1960-425: The drilling rig. Especially in developing countries many boreholes are stull dug by hand. The digging begins with manual labor using basic tools such as shovels, picks, and crowbars. Workers excavate the soil layer by layer, often using a circular motion to create a well-shaped hole. The process is slow and demanding, requiring teamwork and coordination. To prevent the walls from collapsing and to ensure water quality,

2016-476: The ground and the other at the Tarim Basin with a planned depth of 11,100 metres (36,400 ft). Drillers may sink a borehole using a drilling rig or a hand-operated rig. The machinery and techniques to advance a borehole vary considerably according to manufacturer, geological conditions, and the intended purpose. For offshore drilling floating units or platforms supported by the seafloor are used for

2072-620: The holes varied, the drilling of a single well could last nearly one full decade. It was not up until the 19th century that Europe and the West would catch up and rival ancient Chinese borehole drilling technology. For many years, the world's longest borehole was the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia. From 2011 until August 2012 the record was held by the 12,345-metre (40,502 ft) long Sakhalin-I Odoptu OP-11 Well, offshore

2128-531: The hot mineral waters there and in 1676 wrote A discourse of Bathe, and the hot waters there. Also, Some Enquiries into the Nature of the water . This brought the purported health-giving properties of the waters to the attention of the aristocracy, who started to partake in them soon after. The term spa is used for towns or resorts offering hydrotherapy , which can include cold water or mineral water treatments and geothermal baths. There are mineral springs in

2184-541: The huge block of underground salt was desirable by providing good grounding and increased signal strength. Droitwich shopping is mainly focused in the traditional town centre around Victoria Square, leading to the St Andrew's Square shopping centre and down to the original High Street, with its local pubs and an eclectic mix of traditional shops. Farmers' markets are also held regularly in Victoria Square. In

2240-448: The late 1800s and early 1900s when mineral spas were believed to cure various medical conditions. However, the remote locations of most of these towns made them expensive to visit and only small-scale spa facilities developed there. Helidon, a day trip from Brisbane by car, was more successful, particularly with growing owernship of cars after World War II . However, concerns about radioactivity and bacterial contamination resulted in

2296-431: The lido and it was reopened on Monday 18 June 2007. The Lido Park remains a pleasant and popular space, with Droitwich Cricket Ground on its edge as well as a bandstand with regular performances. The Norbury Theatre hosts regular shows year-round, including an annual pantomime, and also shows films. On the outskirts of the town is the famous Chateau Impney , built in the style of a traditional French chateau , which

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2352-424: The natural brine flow, and the monopoly ceased. Pumps were used to draw brine, and production increased. As a result, parts of the town succumbed to subsidence. In the mid-19th century, Droitwich became famous as a spa town . Unlike other places, the medicinal benefits were not derived from drinking the spa water, which is almost saturated brine, but from the muscular relief derived from swimming and floating in such

2408-472: The ninth century Historia Brittonum , a text that discusses various landscape folklore across Britain, the hot spring of Droitwich Spa appears to be described in a passage that suggests that the spa was still built up at that time: "The third marvel is a hot pool, which is in the country of the Hwicce [near Worcester] and is surrounded by a wall made of bricks and stone. Men go into it to bathe at all times, and

2464-617: The planned development of their former home at Briar Mill is complete. The club also has a junior section of Under 16, Under 18 & Under 21 sides. The Droitwich Rugby Football Club has been playing rugby union since 1972. Droitwich Archery Society, based at the Droitwich Rugby Football Ground, is a target archery club that was formed in 1967, and is affiliated to The Grand National Archery Society . Other local sports include boxing , judo, Tae Kwon Do , Karate , Ju Jitsu and tennis. Vines Park Bowling Club

2520-539: The public for relaxation and hydrotherapy but this too was closed in December 2008 due to a dispute between the operator and Wychavon District Council over health and safety inspections. The salt industry was industrialised and developed in the 19th century by John Corbett who built the nearby Chateau Impney for his Franco-Irish wife in the French 'château' style. He was responsible for the redevelopment of Droitwich as

2576-602: The salt brines. The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 pounds per imperial gallon (0.25 kg/L) of salt, ten times stronger than sea water and rivaled only by the Dead Sea . During the Roman era the settlement was known as Salinae and was located at the crossroads of several Roman roads . Railway construction in 1847 revealed Roman mosaic pavements. In

2632-411: The shafts and rooms were complete with a timber frame, ladders and iron tools. By the first century BC, Chinese craftsmen cast iron drill bits and drillers were able to drill boreholes up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) deep. By the eleventh century AD, the Chinese were able to drill boreholes up to 900 metres (3,000 ft) in depth. Drilling for boreholes was time-consuming and long. As the depth of

2688-422: The temperature changes for each of them as they wish: if one man wants a cold bath, it will be cold, and if another wants a hot bath, it will be hot." Droitwich remained a fairly small town until the 1960s, when the population was still barely 7,000, but since then it has grown considerably from overspill from Birmingham with many housing estates being developed in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2014, new housing consent

2744-555: The town include HSBC , Santander , Lloyds and Barclays . There are a number of estate agents . HSBC closed in July 2023. Barclays bank has also closed, Papa John is now in its place. Until the late 1990s Droitwich Spa Lido was open as a public open-air salt-water swimming pool. Following its closure various schemes were proposed, with significant legal and commercial arguments as to the viability of re-building and reopening this facility. During autumn of 2006, work started on renovating

2800-456: The two, was adversely affected by brine extraction at the other two pits and fell into disuse. Steynor in the 17th century discovered the pit and set up business for himself, but eventually due to the lack of brine he failed to compete with the town monopoly. The underground brine reservoirs were only 200 feet (61 m) deep and in 1725 boreholes were sunk to the base of the pits, accessing brine in almost unlimited quantities and independent of

2856-992: The word Toplice implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Croatia are Daruvar , Šibenik and Sisak . In Czech , the word Lázně implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Czech Republic are the West Bohemian Spa Triangle of Karlovy Vary , Františkovy Lázně and Mariánské Lázně , listed on UNESCO World Heritage Site . Other important spas are Luhačovice , Teplice , Jáchymov , Konstantinovy Lázně , Jeseník , Třeboň , Poděbrady , Bechyně or Velké Losiny . Traditionally, Hanko , Rauma and Kalajoki have been considered spa towns. Today there are more than 50 spas ( kylpylä ) in Finland; some towns known for their spa centers include Ikaalinen , Naantali and Imatra . In France ,

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2912-950: The words bains , thermes and eaux in city names often imply a spa town. There are more than 50 spa towns in France, including Vichy , Aix-les-Bains , Bagnoles-de-l'Orne , Dax , and Enghien-les-Bains . Borjomi is one such example in south Georgia. In Germany , the word Bad implies a spa town. Among the many famous spa towns in Germany are Bad Aachen , Baden-Baden , Bad Brückenau , Bad Ems , Bad Homburg , Bad Honnef , Bad Kissingen , Bad Kreuznach , Bad Mergentheim , Bad Muskau , Bad Oeynhausen , Bad Pyrmont , Bad Reichenhall , Bad Saarow , Bad Schandau , Bad Schönborn , Bad Segeberg , Bad Soden , Bad Tölz , Bad Wildbad , Bad Wimpfen , Bad Wildstein , Berchtesgaden , Binz , Freudenstadt , Heiligendamm , Heringsdorf , Kampen , Königstein , Radebeul , Schwangau , St. Blasien , Titisee , Tegernsee , Travemünde and Zingst . Wiesbaden

2968-406: Was also a Horsatack Saddlery store on the same park, which was opened in 2009. The park already has DFS store. There is also a Spar on Oakland Avenue, a Tesco Express on Primsland plus a new Sainsbury's store and petrol station and Marks & Spencer 's store and petrol station being constructed. In 2019 a Lidl supermarket opened opposite Aldi, increasing the competition in the area. Banks in

3024-470: Was granted to large developments at Copcut (750 houses) and Yew Tree Hill (765 houses) with a number of other in-fill developments In July 2007, Droitwich was hit heavily by the UK-wide flooding caused by some of the heaviest rainfall in many years. The flooding was pictured in UK-wide news, having flooded the majority of the heavily subsided high street. Many shops in the high street remained closed almost

3080-430: Was not being boiled, the rain water which is less dense than saltwater, settled on top of the brine and was readily removed. Originally brine for boiling was extracted with buckets lowered into the pits which were naturally replenished. Upwich, the deepest of the three pits at 30 feet (9.1 m), supplied most of the brine, while the pit at Netherwich was only 18 feet (5.5 m) deep. The Middlewich pit, located between

3136-789: Was the Surgeon and Sir Charles Hastings from the Worcester Infirmary was the Physician. The Old Town Hall , which is in St Andrews Street, was completed in 1826. In 1714 the first Turnpike in Worcestershire was opened to Worcester . A commemorative plaque was unveiled by Lt. Col. Patrick Holcroft the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire in Victoria Square on 1 June 2014. Collectively known as

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