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Brine Baths

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Brine Baths

The backdrop of the artwork is St Andrew’s Brine Baths. Droitwich became Droitwich Spa in the 19th century as the town’s spa facilities were developed. The town’s first brine baths opened in 1836.  With the backing of the local ‘salt king', John Corbett, the town became the only salt-water spa-town in Britain. Many hotels and boarding houses of various sizes were built to accommodate the visitors who were treated at the Brine Baths. Nurses from the Brine Baths have been depicted in the art.

Two female nurses at Brine Baths

Droitwich Brine is the strongest natural saltwater known and it contains 30% natural salts. It is 10 times more concentrated than normal sea water, making it as dense as the Dead Sea. Floating in brine has therapeutic benefits for sufferers of rheumatic conditions.

The frontage of the old St Andrews Brine Baths, which opened in 1887 and closed in 1974, survives as St Richards House, the home of Droitwich Spa Heritage Centre.  Pipework and infrastructure still run beneath the building. There are still remnants of the salt extraction around the town including the green pump in Gurney’s Lane which was operational from 1850 until 1921. The only operational well that remains active can be found at Tower Hill Brine Pump, a few metres left from where you’re standing! Today this is used to supply the town’s lido.

In its heyday there were around 30 wells operating near Vines Park until all brine extraction was moved to the new works at Stoke Prior at the end of the 19th century. The effects of the salt industry can be seen in buildings on the High Street. Before subsidence took its toll, the road surface was level as can be seen in photographs taken around 1860. It was not until extraction was moved that subsidence occurred and caused the buildings to lean at odd angles. Today the high street has been fondly dubbed, ‘The Wonky High Street’.

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