Area Day
NWR HEREFORD AND WORCESTER AREA DAY
"A PINCH OF SALT IN DROITWICH SPA"
On October 11th the NWR Group in Droitwich hosted an Area Day for the other groups in Hereford and Worcester.
The title of this day comes from the industry which has given Droitwich its raison d'etre for thousands of years. Sited over the confluence of two underground streams, the production of salt by the extraction and evaporation of the brine has been the mainstay of the local economy since pre-Roman times. Our first speaker, Lynn Blewitt from the local History and Archaeological Society, traced the history of the salt making until its demise in the twentieth century. She also talked about the archaeological finds which continue to inform our knowledge and understanding of the industry which had such an influence on the development of the town.
The second speaker was Barbara Middlemass who has written a biography of John Corbett, the nineteenth Century "Salt King". Although he built his salt works outside the town, in his later years he used his wealth to regenerate Droitwich as a fashionable Spa resort. He rebuilt the railway station, built a brine baths and opened hotels to accommodate the visitors. Barbara was able to tell us about the colourful private life of the man had a great role in the evolution of modern Droitwich.
After lunch, Lynn took a group on a guided walk around the town centre relating the buildings and sites to her talk. Her facts and figures were brought to life by seeing the reconstructed brine pit by the canal, the last pumping station which continues to feed the modern brine baths, and the leaning buildings of the High Street, which have subsided because of the extraction on the brine from streams far underground.
A second group stayed at the venue and were able to go to the adjoing Heritage Centre to see the equipment which used to be in the BBC Wychbold Transmitter. The old heavy tape recorders and microphones were a reminder of days gone by when some of us remember Droitwich on the dials of our wireless. The masts still dominate the local skyline. They were also able to practise skills in Brass Rubbing using the special replica brasses, black cartridge paper and different colours. They were all able complete one rubbing before the end of the session.
The afternoon ended ended with a visit to the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart. The interior is covered with splendid early twentieth century mosaics. David Holden explained the story behind the design and construction of the mosaics. As well as those depicting more expected religious themes, the mosaics on the south side of the nave illustrate the life of St Richard of Chichester. Born in Droitwich in 1197 he was made Bishop of Chichester in 1244. He visited Droitwich soon afterwards to find the the brine springs had dried up, threatening the town with ruin. Richard blessed the springs( after suggesting a thorough cleansing of the pit!) and the brine began to flow again. The Saint and his miracle are commemorated with a modern statue near the new reconstructed pit. Everyone was surprised by the quantity and quality of these mosaics.
The day proved to be very informative and enjoyed by all who took part.
