Droitwich Spa

Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa, St. Andrews
Droitwich Spa is located in Worcestershire
Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa
Location within Worcestershire
Area8.366 km2 (3.230 sq mi)
Population25,027 (2021 Census)[1]
• Density2,992/km2 (7,750/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSO895632
• London125 miles (201 km)
Civil parish
  • Droitwich Spa[2]
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDROITWICH
Postcode districtWR9
Dialling code01905
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Worcestershire
52°16′01″N 2°09′11″W / 52.267°N 2.153°W / 52.267; -2.153

Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich /ˈdrɔɪt.wɪtʃ/)[3] 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[4] in Roman times, then later called Wyche, derived from 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.[5][6] 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 the salt brines.[7]

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.[8]

  1. ^ "Droitwich". City population. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Home - Droitwich Spa Town Council". www.droitwichspa.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  3. ^ Jones, Daniel (11 July 2003). An English Pronouncing Dictionary. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415233392 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "History of Droitwich Spa" at droitwichspa.com Accessed 31 May 2017
  5. ^ "Can you help find 800-year-old Droitwich Town Charter? | Droitwich Standard". Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Can you help find 800-year-old Droitwich Town Charter?" at droitwichstandard.co.uk Accessed 31 May 2017
  7. ^ Full text of "Worcestershire place names" at archive.org Accessed 31 May 2017
  8. ^ Bainbrigge, William Henry (1876). Droitwich Salt Springs: Their Medicinal Action and Curative Properties. Worcester: Deighton & Son. Table of Analyses before page 1. showing that the Droitwich Spring contains in every Imperial Gallon of water nearly 20,000 grains of solid constituents