DROITWICH SPA NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 2018 Heritage Interest Group The Heritage our town has to offer Droitwich Spa has a legacy of over 2000 years exploitation of its underground salt reserves. The Group considered how the benefits of this heritage can be used to enhance the economic and environmental objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan. Iron Age and Roman. Over two millennia, these advantages have developed and changed. Brine extraction can be traced back several centuries B.C. During the Roman occupation, the strategic value of access to the salt reserves is evidenced not only by the Latin name for the town [Salinae – Salt town], but by the finds of high quality mosaic flooring and the Roman road system radiating from the area. Mediaeval and Tudor. The Middle Ages saw an interesting period, first of Crown control of salt revenues, then of wider access to the exploitation of brine extraction. This resulted in many Droitwich denizens building impressive timber-framed properties, a number of which are currently being 're-discovered ' beneath their later brick-clad 'improvements'. Among these are structures which are exciting interest as regional innovators in architectural survivals. Canals serving the salt industry. During the later eighteenth century, the massive development of the industry saw one of the country's earliest canals constructed to link the town with the River Severn. This was a wide, barge canal, suited to admit river traffic. In the following century, this was linked to the nationwide canal network by a conventional narrow-boat canal. The renovation and re-construction of both these waterways in the current century presents opportunities for their further exploitation. This should increase visitor numbers to benefit the Spa's retail, restaurant and guest house trade and act as a tourist destination in its own right. The development of a Spa. The nineteenth century saw the influence of a major salt entrepreneur, John Corbett, transforming the town. The major brine extraction works having moved to nearby Stoke Works, he concentrated on using his wealth to change the focus of the town from a squalid industrial base to an attractive spa town, using the available brine for treatments, in particular for locomotive disorders. The ambiance of this heritage is seen in tree-lined avenues, and the Lido parkland. More work in concentrating on building on this environment will further increase the satisfaction local citizens find in their life in the area. The effects on the High Street. In the post-war period of the twentieth century, salt extraction was discontinued, but not before it had resulted in a significant subsidence of the High Street. Here the wooden structures of the medieval buildings showed their resilience, and flexed as the ground moved. The result is attractive to visitors, as the intriguing perspective of tilting buildings challenges their normal expectations. 1 Using this diverse legacy to support the Neighbourhood Plan There is much potential in the town's heritage to make it more of a tourist venue. It has potential to be seen as a specific destination for tour operators if all the current strands can be brought together under a comprehensive 'marketing' umbrella. Consultation at the time of the Town Plan [around 2010] acknowledged the difficulties of identifying a specific 'handle' for a town with so many diverse strands in its history. [Roman, Medieval, Tudor, Brine Industry, Canal and Victorian Spa]. The town currently majors on the 'Brine Spa' aspect of its history on the Town signs. But this relates to scarcely more than a century of the town's history. It might be more inclusive to concentrate more forcefully on 'salt' or 'brine'. We are already familiar with 'The Salt King' as a sobriquet for Corbett. Why not 'Brine Barons' for those who built the impressive Tudor properties in the High street. [Even Edward Winslow's father was a brine-baron!]. Or, to mimic the Salt Way name given to our radiating roads, why not 'Brine Ways' for the canal system? In any event, as salt has been at the heart of all aspects of the town's history, this is bound to be a principal unifying thread to an extension of the tourist footfall. A tourist trail would need to be carefully planned, with extensive signage, good quality footpaths, relaxed seating and above all, quality interpretation boards. The use of mobile 'apps' to provide a commentary is well-within the bounds of current technology. This wealth of assets could be the base for attracting further visitors, by making the various attractions more accessible. In the longer term, as indicated below, this could be followed by a more comprehensive range of brine-related displays, and or museum collections. In the short term, there are sufficient locations to provide a self-guided, free-flow tourist walk around the town. [To name but few, the mock-up Brine pit, St.Richard and his miracle, St. Augustine's on high [and the Civil War connections]; the canal and its junction; the brine pump site near Waitrose, and the medieval backs of the High Street properties; the crooked High Street properties themselves, majoring on number 31 [and perhaps Star Yard]; the Tower Hill Pumping station; the collapse of St. Andrew's tower; Friar Street, [The Old Cock and Priory House]; the mural opposite the Spinning Wheel, the Winslow statue, the Salt workers statue, the genteel Victoria Square, and the Lido Park]. Looking to the medium term, the future of the Raven Hotel site could bring fruitful opportunities to enhance the attraction of the area. Assuming that the later excrescences to the listed building are demolished, the sixteenth century manor house might be an excellent location for an enhanced museum to better interpret our heritage. The sensitive development of the areas to its rear could link with the church garden and Tower Hill area to become a pleasant enhancement to a 'spa-ambiance'. 2 Current footfall Judged from the crowds at the regular events held in the town, there is already much attraction for the activities taking place. St. Richard's Canal Festival, The Salt Fest, the Food and Drink Festival, and the Christmas Lights are all successful every year, as is the annual Arts Network Festival. The most recent figure for attendance at the Food Festival was 15,000. Promoted by Wychavon, it is described as the biggest and most popular of these events. An estimated £15,000 was raised for charitable causes, and this included £4,000 towards the re-instatement of the tennis courts in the Lido Park. 90% of the food and drink producers come from a 30-mile radius of the town. There are frequent well-supported Town Walks organised by the Town council, and led by members of DSCS and DHAS. This indicates a healthy interest, but will be predominantly from local people. On the basis of this, wider publicity further afield should attract greater interest for the sort of town trails mentioned above. The recently restored salt-water Lido pool is very popular during its summer opening period. The operators say that annual attendance averages 20,000, rising particularly in the better summers we are now expecting. The provision of dedicated coach parking would be needed if the town is to become a tourist destination in its own right, thereby improving the footfall. Associated Historic legacies. The town has over 50 listed buildings, [see appendix], but there is scope to improve this number, in particular by the local listing of many of its twentieth century buildings. Added to this would be the retention where possible of historic street furniture or signage, which adds to and supports the historic or spa ambiance. Medieval and Tudor houses have been mentioned, and productive work has been undertaken by the Historic Droitwich and Dodderhill Research Group, with National Lottery Funding, to establish their ages and construction methods. Historic England is now restoring number 31 High Street, an indication of its importance. This building from 1400 has a notable pedigree in terms of its construction, its rarity and intactness for its period. It could become an attraction in its own right, similar to the recently restored Merchant’s House in Marlborough. With this restoration completed, it is suggested that when suitable opportunities for re-development arise in the High Street, the link with the medieval past should be borne in mind, to re-introduce more fully the feel of a street from that era. All the areas that have a particular townscape character have the potential to contribute positively to the image and identity of Droitwich Spa, to improve the attractiveness of the town centre, and to increase the sense of belonging and pride amongst the local residents. 3 Pulling many of the historical strands together, there is scope for an enhanced museum for the town. The current museum at the Information Centre has some excellent displays, but more space is required to do justice to all its aspects. [One such is to record the importance of a son of the town, John Heminges. He was an actor with Shakespeare, a shareholder in the Globe Theatre, and with a colleague was instrumental in collecting and publishing The First Folio of Shakespeare's works]. Extra space would be a step to repatriating interesting local artefacts from the County museum. Using the Heritage Legacy to enhance and protect the environment. The Town Plan referred to states that the diversity of the locality is appreciated by the majority of the townsfolk, but that 'the most appreciated aspect of the town is its history as a spa, ...and this is what they would like to see preserved and developed'.