On Wednesday morning eight double canoes filled with excited children came past, learning how to paddle. Then, having walked further up the canal we found that there was a BW Marina with about 25 free moorings on pontoons for 48 hrs. So we all moved up there late afternoon, what bliss not to have to step on the muddy, dog pooh towpath for a change.
A BW key is needed to get out of the gate and there is a water tap on the end of the pontoon too, luxury! The pontoons are rather short though and the boats are swaying about in the wind quite a bit.
All around the edge of the marina is soft piling with tall reeds which the swans seem to like. We are right on the edge of Vines Park here with a very short walk into the town centre, Waitrose and Morrison's.
The town was been known for it’s prolific saline water which has been pumped from underground ever since the Iron Age. Being almost as salty as the Dead Sea Droitwich became a Brine Spa and it was popular for people to come to exercise in the brine baths for therapeutic reasons. From 4.5 litres of brine water 1.1 kilograms of salt could be produced.
In Gurney’s Lane the old pumping engine that was in use from 1880-1920 can be seen here on the left. There is also a sculpture remembering the salt workers of the past. The fine old black and white timber building in the background is the imposing Raven Hotel.
As a result of extracting brine over many years there are quite a few shops in the High Street that have suffered subsidence and lean on each other at jaunty angles.
When Paddy and Ruth came round for afternoon tea and cake they brought me some lovely roses. These were to thank me for making them two spider webs for their bathroom portholes.
This lovely mosaic of the town can be found in St Andrews Square modern shopping centre. The town is quite delightful and has many quaint buildings with lots of pubs lining the old narrow streets. Salt making was very thirsty work apparently! During the summer months the open air Lido Pool can be used, still filled with brine pumped from below Droitwich Spa. If you remember the Noddy book end pictures of Toy Town with the railway running high up, well Droitwich reminds me of that.
1 comment:
So glad you like the town - some very good friends of ours moved there about six years ago. They became involved in the final stages of the restoration of the canal as volunteers and took us on a grand tour.
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