Editing Droitwich Spa

{{Short description|Town in Worcestershire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2007}}
{{Infobox UK place
 | static_image_name        = Droitwich Spa, St. Andrews (geograph 4194261).jpg
 | static_image_caption     = Droitwich Spa, St. Andrews
 | static_image_width       = 
 | country                  = England
 | official_name            = Droitwich Spa
 | coordinates              = {{Coord|52.267|-2.153|display=inline,title}}
 | civil_parish             = Droitwich Spa<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.droitwichspa.gov.uk/|title=Home - Droitwich Spa Town Council|website=www.droitwichspa.gov.uk|access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref>
 | area_total_km2           = 8.366
 | population               = 25,027
 | population_ref           = (2021 Census)<ref name="bua2011">{{cite web |title=Droitwich |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/westmidlands/admin/wychavon/E04010386__droitwich_spa/ |website=City population |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> 
 | shire_district           = [[Wychavon]]
 | shire_county             = [[Worcestershire]]
 | region                   = West Midlands
 | constituency_westminster = [[Droitwich and Evesham (UK Parliament constituency)|Droitwich and Evesham]]
 | post_town                = DROITWICH<!-- the post town name does not include "Spa" - http://www.royalmail.com/postcode-finder -->
 | postcode_district        = WR9
 | postcode_area            = WR
 | dial_code                = 01905
 | os_grid_reference        = SO895632
 | london_distance          = {{convert|125|mile|km}}
}}
'''Droitwich Spa''' (often abbreviated to '''Droitwich''' {{IPAc-en|'|d|r|oi|t|.|w|I|ch}})<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=drly_x_HzfIC&dq=Droitwich+pronounce&pg=PA117|title=An English Pronouncing Dictionary|first=Daniel|last=Jones|date=11 July 2003|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9780415233392 |via=Google Books}}</ref> is an historic [[spa town]] in the [[Wychavon]] district in northern [[Worcestershire]], England, on the [[River Salwarpe]]. It is located approximately {{convert|22|mile|km}} south-west of [[Birmingham]] and {{convert|7|mile|km}} north-east of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]].

The town was called Salinae<ref>[http://www.droitwichspa.com/history.shtml "History of Droitwich Spa" at droitwichspa.com] Accessed 31 May 2017</ref> 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 [[John, King of England|King John]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.droitwichstandard.co.uk/2015/02/08/news-Can-you-help-find-Droitwich-Charter-126178.html |title=Can you help find 800-year-old Droitwich Town Charter? &#124; Droitwich Standard |access-date=2015-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208114731/http://www.droitwichstandard.co.uk/2015/02/08/news-Can-you-help-find-Droitwich-Charter-126178.html |archive-date=8 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>[https://droitwichstandard.co.uk/news/can-you-help-find-800-year-old-droitwich-town-charter-4060/ "Can you help find 800-year-old Droitwich Town Charter?" at droitwichstandard.co.uk] Accessed 31 May 2017</ref> 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.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/worcestershirepl00duiguoft/worcestershirepl00duiguoft_djvu.txt Full text of "Worcestershire place names" at archive.org] Accessed 31 May 2017</ref>

The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich [[brine]] contains {{convert|2+1/2|lb/impgal|kg/L}} of salt, ten times stronger than sea water and rivaled only by the [[Dead Sea]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Bainbrigge |first=William Henry |date=1876 |title=Droitwich Salt Springs: Their Medicinal Action and Curative Properties |publisher=Deighton & Son |location=Worcester |quote=showing that the Droitwich Spring contains in every Imperial Gallon of water nearly 20,000 grains of solid constituents |at=Table of Analyses before page 1 |url=https://archive.org/details/b24974390/page/n3/mode/2up }}</ref>

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2011}}
{{See also|History of Worcestershire}}
During the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] era the settlement was known as ''Salinae'' and was located at the crossroads of several [[Roman road]]s. Railway construction in 1847 revealed Roman [[mosaic]] pavements. In 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]<ref>"Near Worcester" is Richard Barber's identification. See Richard Barber, ''Myths and Legends of the British Isles'', ed. and. trans. Richard Barber (New York: Barnes & Noble, 2000), p. 85.</ref> and is surrounded by a wall made of bricks and stone. Men go into it to bathe at all times, and 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."<ref>Higham argues that Droitwich is more likely to connect to the "fourth miraculum" of the ''Historia Brittonum''; see Nicholas J. Higham, ''King Arthur: The Making of the Legend'' (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018), pg. 291.</ref>

King John's charter was renewed by [[James VI and I]] on 8 November 1625, establishing the governance of the town and markets.<ref>J. W. Willis Bund, ''Victoria County History: Worcestershire'', 3 (London: Constable, 1913), pp. 77–78.</ref><ref>Treadway Russell Nash, [https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_collections-for-the-hist_nash-treadway-russell_1781_1/page/308/mode/2up ''Collections for the history of Worcestershire'', 1 (1781), pp. 308–316]</ref>  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 was granted to large developments at Copcut (750 houses) and Yew Tree Hill (765 houses) with a number of other in-fill developments<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zG2KDS_KUR8o.kv977xrMHu0E&hl=en|title=Droitwich Spa housing proposals - Google My Maps|website=Google My Maps}}</ref>

In July 2007, Droitwich was hit heavily by the UK-wide [[2007 United Kingdom floods|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 a year later.

===Salt and brine===
[[File:Statue to saltworkers.jpg|thumb|''Saltworkers'' by British sculptor [[John McKenna (sculptor)|John McKenna]] in the town centre]]

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 evaporation pond|salt evaporating pan]]s 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 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 {{Convert|6,912|impgal|l}} which produced {{Convert|8|LT|t|spell=in}} of salt annually in the set boiling period. When it rained, particularly in the winter when brine 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 {{Convert|30|ft|m}}, supplied most of the brine, while the pit at Netherwich was only {{Convert|18|ft|m}} deep. The Middlewich pit, located between 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 {{Convert|200|ft|m}} deep and in 1725 [[borehole]]s were sunk to the base of the pits, accessing brine in almost unlimited quantities and independent of 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.<ref name="Beatrice Hopkinson">"Salt and the Domesday Salinae at Droitwich, AD 674–1690: A Quantitative Analysis", Droitwich Brine Springs and Archaeological Trust with Worcestershire Archaeological Society (1994)</ref>

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 a dense, concentrated salt solution, at the town's brine baths (first opened in 1830). The spa water at Droitwich is the [[UK Geothermal Springs|warmest]] in the United Kingdom outside [[Bath, Somerset|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 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 (industrialist)|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 a Spa.

===Asylums, workhouses and the town hall===
[[File:The Old Town Hall (geograph 6710641).jpg|thumb|The [[Old Town Hall, Droitwich Spa|Old Town Hall]]]]
Droitwich's first workhouse was set up on Holloway in 1688<ref>[http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Droitwich/ The workhouse: Droitwich, Worcestershire at workhouses.org.uk] Accessed 2017-05-31</ref> 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, was the Surgeon and [[Sir Charles Hastings]] from the [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] Infirmary was the Physician.

The [[Old Town Hall, Droitwich Spa|Old Town Hall]], which is in St Andrews Street, was completed in 1826.<ref>{{NHLE|desc= Town Hall |num=1095978|access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref>

==Industry and commerce==

===Transport===
[[File:Droitwichtransmitter.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Droitwich transmitting station]], Wychbold]]
[[File:DroitwichSpaWorcs HighStreet.jpg|thumb|200px|Droitwich Spa High Street on [[Richard of Chichester|St. Richard's Day]] 2009]]

In 1714 the first [[Toll road|Turnpike]] in Worcestershire was opened to [[Worcester, England|Worcester]]. A commemorative plaque was unveiled by [[Patrick Holcroft|Lt. Col. Patrick Holcroft]] the [[Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire]] in Victoria Square on 1 June 2014.

Collectively known as the [[Droitwich Canal]], two [[canal]]s 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 [[Droitwich Spa railway station|railway station]], formerly on the [[Great Western Railway]], is just outside the town centre with trains to [[Birmingham]], [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], [[Kidderminster]] and [[Stourbridge]].

Regular buses operate from the town centre to [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] and [[Bromsgrove]] along with town services and an infrequent service (133) to [[Kidderminster]]. These are operated by various operators.

===Broadcasting===
{{convert|3|mi|0|abbr=on}} north-east of Droitwich is the central [[longwave]] broadcasting facility for 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;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitworcestershire.org/place/droitwich-spa-heritage-centre-droitwich-calling-exhibition/|title=Exhibition at Droitwich Heritage Centre|access-date=30 August 2018}}</ref> however, there are anecdotal reports that the huge block of underground salt was desirable by providing good grounding and increased signal strength.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2005/10/21/droitwich_transmitter_feature.shtml Hereford and Worcester > About Worcestershire >"Droitwich calling" (comment by Max Sinclair, ref. 'Mr Humphreys... station engineer'), 2005/10/21, at bbc.co.uk] Accessed 2017-05-31</ref>

===Retail===
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' market]]s are also held regularly in Victoria Square.

In 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 was also a Horsatack Saddlery store on the same park, which was opened in 2009. The park already has [[DFS (British retailer)|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 the town include [[HSBC Bank (Europe)|HSBC]], [[Santander UK|Santander]], Lloyds and [[Barclays]].<ref>[http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/14946889.NatWest_branches_to_close_causing_concern_among_residents/ Matthew Dresch: "NatWest branches to close in Malvern and Droitwich Spa causing concern among residents" 5 December 2016, at worcesternews.co.uk] Accessed 2017-05-31</ref> There are a number of [[estate agent]]s. HSBC closed in July 2023. Barclays bank has also closed, [[Papa John's]] is now in its place.

==Amenities==

===Lido===
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 the lido and it was reopened on Monday 18 June 2007. The [[Lido (swimming pool)|Lido]] Park remains a pleasant and popular space, with Droitwich Cricket Ground on its edge as well as a bandstand with regular performances. {{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

[[File:Chateau Impney - geograph.org.uk - 182447.jpg|left|thumb|[[Chateau Impney]], near Droitwich]]

===Entertainment===
The [[Norbury Theatre]] hosts regular shows year-round, including an annual pantomime, and also shows films.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.norburytheatre.co.uk/#!about/cee5  |title=About us|publisher=The Norbury Theatre| access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref>

On the outskirts of the town is the famous [[Chateau Impney]], built in the style of a traditional French [[chateau]], which 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.

==Education==
The Droitwich Spa pyramid of schools works on a [[three-tier education|three tier system]], with one [[Upper school|high school]]: ([[Droitwich Spa High School]]); two [[middle school]]s (Witton Middle School and Westacre Middle School); and nine [[first school]]s (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 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, England|Worcester]]'s [[Royal Grammar School Worcester|Royal Grammar School]] and the [[The King's School, Worcester|King's School]], Hawford Lodge, the Grange, Bromsgrove School with others typically travelling to Birmingham, Kidderminster, Hagley and Stourbridge by rail.

==Media==
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 transmitting station|Sutton Coldfield]] TV transmitters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Bromsgrove|title=Full Freeview on the Bromsgrove (Worcestershire, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=28 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Sutton_Coldfield|title=Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=28 September 2023}}</ref>

Local radio stations are [[BBC Hereford and Worcester]], [[Heart West Midlands]], [[Radio Wyvern]], [[Capital Mid-Counties]], [[Greatest Hits Radio|Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire]], [[Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire]], and [[Smooth West Midlands]].

The Droitwich Standard is the town's weekly local newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-wmids/droitwich-standard/|title=Droitwich Standard|date=27 February 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=28 September 2023}}</ref>

==Places of worship==
[[File:St Peters church Droitwich - geograph.org.uk - 189593.jpg|thumb|250px|St Peter's Church, Droitwich]]
There are six churches in Droitwich including the [[Church of England|Anglican]] church of
St Andrew's, a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] building where [[Richard of Chichester|St Richard]] was probably baptised.<ref name="StA">[http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/andrew.html St Andrew's, Droitwich] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729234142/http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/andrew.html |date=29 July 2009 }}. Retrieved 8 February 2010</ref> The church tower was demolished in the 1920s after becoming dangerous due to land [[subsidence]].<ref name="StA"/> [[Augustine of Canterbury|St. Augustine]]'s at [[Dodderhill]], completed in 1220 and rebuilt in the 18th century on a hill, was the site of a former [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] fort and a later [[Anglo-Saxon architecture|Anglo-Saxon]] church.<ref>[http://www.dodderhillhistory.org.uk/Churches/StAugustineDodderhill/tabid/63/Default.aspx Dodderhill Parish Survey Project.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303072117/http://www.dodderhillhistory.org.uk/Churches/StAugustineDodderhill/tabid/63/Default.aspx |date=3 March 2012 }} Retrieved 8 February 2010</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/peter.html Droitwich Spa Parish, St Peter's] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728050924/http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/peter.html |date=28 July 2009 }}, Retrieved 8 February 2010</ref>

[[St Nicholas]] was built in [[Victorian times]] near the [[Droitwich Spa railway station|railway station]];<ref>[http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/nicholas.html Droitwich Spa Parish, St Nicholas] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729234207/http://www.droitwichparish.org.uk/about/nicholas.html |date=29 July 2009 }} Retrieved 8 February 2010</ref> and the [[Roman Catholic]] [[The Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria|Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria]], on 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]].<ref>[http://www.sacredheartdroitwich.org.uk/mosaics_introduction.htm Sacred Heart, Droitwich.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310185849/http://www.sacredheartdroitwich.org.uk/mosaics_introduction.htm |date=10 March 2007 }} Retrieved 8 February 2010</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lspdevelopments.co.uk/news/2018/black-avenue-droitwich-acheives-practical-completion|title=LSP Developments|first=Burnthebook|last=Ltd|date=13 July 2021|website=LSP Developments}}</ref>

==Sport==
Droitwich [[leisure centre]] at Briar Mill has gym facilities, sports halls, a swimming pool and [[squash court]]s. There are also outside [[Association football|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 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 RFC|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 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),<ref>{{cite web |title=ABOUT US |url=https://www.droitwichtennis.co.uk/about |website=droitwichtennis.co.uk |publisher=Droitwich Tennis Club |access-date=23 January 2023 |location=Droiwich Spa, Worcestershire, England |language=en |date=2018}}</ref> staged two notable tournament throughout its history the [[Droitwich Open]] that ran from 1928 to 1939, and the [[Droitwich Open Hard Courts]] from 1968 to 1974.<ref>{{cite news |title=DROITWICH TOURNAMENT: Increased Entries for Annual Event. The seventh annual Droitwich Open lawn tennis tournament began in the Brine Baths Park on Saturday in ideal weather. |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |publisher=The British Newspaper Archive |date=6 August 1934 |location=Birmingham, England |page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=LAWN TENNIS Droitwich event may be revived: Plans are being made at Droitwich to restart a new week long Open hard court tennis tournament next year, which disappeared from the annual calendar during the war. The Application is being made to the National Lawn Tennis Association next week |work=Birmingham Daily Post |publisher=The British Newspaper Archive |date=4 October 1967 |location=Warwickshire, England |page=19}}</ref>

==Location==

{{Geographic location
|title = '''Destinations from Droitwich Spa'''
|Northwest = [[Kidderminster]], '''[[Bridgnorth]]'''
|North     = [[Bromsgrove]], '''[[Dudley]]'''
|Northeast = [[Redditch]],  '''[[Birmingham]]'''
|West      = [[Leominster]], [[Llandrindod Wells]]
|Centre    = Droitwich Spa
|East      = [[Studley, Warwickshire|Studley]], [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], '''[[Warwick]]'''
|Southwest = [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], [[Malvern, Worcestershire|Malvern]], [[Hereford]]
|South     = [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], [[Tewkesbury]], [[Gloucester]],  '''[[Bristol]]'''
|Southeast = [[Alcester]], [[Evesham]], [[Witney]], '''[[Oxford]]'''
}}

==Notable residents==
{{alumni|section|date=September 2019}}
*[[Ginny Lemon]], drag queen best known for their appearance on the second series of ''Rupauls Drag Race (UK)''
*[[John Bickerton]], [[European Tour]] golfer
*[[John Corbett (industrialist)|John Corbett]], "Salt King"
*[[Ashley Giles]], England [[cricket]]er, lives in Droitwich and in 2005 was made an honorary citizen of the town
*[[Charlie Green (singer)|Charlie Green]], singer known for his appearance on ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2008; now touring with [[Jimmy Osmond]]
*[[Cyril Harrison (cricketer)|Cyril Harrison]], professional cricketer, made 17 [[first-class cricket]] appearances for the [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club]] in 1934 and 1935
*[[John Heminges]], born in Droitwich in about 1566, actor in [[William Shakespeare]]'s company
*[[Dean Holdsworth]], former professional footballer for [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]]
*[[Rik Mayall]], actor and writer in ''[[The Comic Strip]]'', ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', ''[[Bottom (TV series)|Bottom]]'' and other TV programmes; lived in Droitwich as a child
*[[Matt Neal]], [[British Touring Car Championships|Touring Car champion]], lives in Droitwich
*[[Graham Oakey]], professional footballer for [[Coventry City]] in the 1970s, born in Droitwich in 1954
*[[Thomas Rainsborough]], prominent figure in the [[English Civil War]]; leading spokesman for the [[Levellers]] in the [[Putney Debates]]; became MP for [[Droitwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Droitwich]] in 1647
*[[Richard of Chichester|St Richard]], [[Bishop of Chichester]], born in Droitwich in 1197
*[[Edward Winslow]], one of the [[Pilgrim Fathers]], born in the town in 1595
*[[Rebecca Redfern]], visually-impaired para-swimmer and [[2024 Summer Paralympics]] gold medallist

==Twin towns==

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}
Droitwich Spa is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*[[Bad Ems]], Germany
*[[Voiron]], France, (since 2010)<ref name="Voiron twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.voiron.fr/Villes-Jumelees_r465.html|title=45 ans de jumelage : Histoire de cités Le jumelage à Voiron|access-date=4 September 2013|work=Voiron Hôtel de Ville [Voiron council]|language=fr|trans-title=45 years of twinning: The history of Voiron's twin towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603081058/http://www.voiron.fr/Villes-Jumelees_r465.html|archive-date=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="Voiron-Droitwich">{{cite web|url=http://www.voiron.fr/Sibenik_r480.html |title=Droitwich Spa Voiron à l'heure anglaise |access-date=4 September 2013 |work=Voiron Hôtel de Ville [Voiron council] |language=fr |trans-title=Droitwich Spa, UK: Twin town of Voiron |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904120919/http://www.voiron.fr/Sibenik_r480.html |archive-date=4 September 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*''St Peter's Church, Droitwich'' (www.amazon.co.uk) – {{ISBN|978-1-4680-2879-9}}
*''Around Droitwich'' (Archive Photograph Series) – {{ISBN|0-7524-0747-3}}
*''Droitwich in Old Photographs'' – {{ISBN|0-86299-421-7}}
*''The Droitwich Discovery'' – {{ISBN|0-573-12146-X}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Droitwich}}
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*[http://www.droitwichspa.gov.uk/ Droitwich Spa Town Council website]

== See also ==
*[[Droitwich Water Tower]]

{{Worcestershire}}
{{Wychavon}}

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[[Category:Droitwich Spa| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Spa towns in England]]