In Droitwich, salt connects the town’s history with a landscape where salt-rich water has also shaped rare habitats. There are also canal-side paths, historic attractions and different ways to spend time outdoors or enjoy culture. This makes it easy to plan your stay around your interests: the town’s salt history, nature along the waterways, or a programme of theatre and music.
Salt history and local culture
At The Salt Story, a museum in the historic Droitwich Spa Heritage Centre at St Richard’s House in Droitwich Spa, more than 2,000 years of local history take centre stage. Interactive displays, archaeological finds and multimedia exhibits explain how natural brine springs beneath the town of Droitwich made it one of Britain’s most important salt-producing centres. Visitors interested in the town’s development will find several ways to explore the subject here: historical finds, engaging displays and multimedia.
Droitwich Calling offers a different historical perspective. The exhibition explores Droitwich as the site of one of Britain’s most important radio transmitting stations. Together with the salt story, this shows that the town’s history is not limited to a single aspect. The Church of St Andrew is another historic landmark: its fabric dates mainly from the 13th and 14th centuries, and its features include a Jacobean font and memorials.
Canals, parks and nature trails
Vines Park lies in the historic centre of Droitwich Spa, on the banks of the River Salwarpe and the Droitwich barge canal. National Cycle Route 46 also runs through the park. The reopening of the Droitwich Barge Canal and the Droitwich Junction Canal in 2011 created a circular route for boaters. The canals thus shape both the history of the waterways and the landscape around Droitwich today.
An audio trail along the towpaths of the Droitwich Canals explores the canals’ history and restoration. The ponds along the restored waterways provide a habitat for the protected great crested newt. As well as the canals themselves, their restored habitats are among the things to discover during a stay in Droitwich.
A nature trail in Droitwich Community Woods leads through woodland and grassland and along the River Salwarpe. Rare inland salt marshes have developed there, caused by salt-rich water in the River Salwarpe and the Droitwich Canal, as well as in local springs, streams and ditches. The paths also vary in surface: a surfaced path runs alongside the canal, while other paths are made of mown grass and earth.
More ideas for your stay
Droitwich Spa Lido Park has an open-air swimming pool near the entrance on Worcester Road. Its opening times may vary by season, so it is worth checking seasonal opening arrangements in advance if you are planning a particular visit to swim. The park also has fenced and natural-style play areas for children.
Run entirely by volunteers, the Norbury Theatre and Cinema offers films, music, dance and theatre productions throughout the year. Individual performances may change, so check the current programme if you are planning a particular evening. For a different perspective on salt production, Churchfields Farm in Salwarpe offers a guided tour.
Discover more destinations: Little Malvern, Dunhampton, Rock, Broadway, Berrow, Ribbesford, Bewdley, Uckinghall
For the wider travel guide: Worcestershire.
