Skip to content

Film celebrates how salt made spa town 'wonky'

Oprah FlashWest Midlands
Wychavon District Council General view of Droitwich Spa High Street. A view down a narrow high street lined with a mix of historic black-and-white timber-framed buildings and modern shopfronts. Several cars are parked along the road, while decorative bunting is strung across the street overhead. Scaffolding can be seen on one building in the distance, and a number of businesses, including shops and takeaways, are visible beneath a partly cloudy sky.Wychavon District Council
Some buildings in Droitwich Spa are known for their slight lean, earning them the name Wonky High Street

A film will celebrate and explore how a popular condiment made a market town's high street "wonky".

Droitwich Spa became a hub for salt extraction during the Industrial Revolution.

But the effects of too much brine being pumped to the surface of the town caused the ground to sink and buildings to lean - prompting the Wonky High Street nickname, Wychavon District Council said.

The animation, part of a project started by Droitwich Spa Place Board, will be shown at Tower Hill Brine Pump, which has been pumping brine since 1921 and is the town's last working well.

Getty Images Notable landmark in the town of Droitwich, Worcestershire, United Kingdom. It is a renovated brine pump house. There has been salt production in Droitwich from Roman times to about 1920. At it's peak salt production was 120,000 tones per year and formed the basis for the economic development of the town.Getty Images
The town was once famous for its salt production

"Droitwich Spa's salt story is really special, and we're passionate about helping people discover and enjoy it," said Rebecca Butler, manager of Droitwich Spa Heritage Centre.

"The new animation brings the story of Tower Hill to life in a way that is easy to understand, engaging and enjoyable for visitors of all ages."

Water packed full of natural salt underground helped turn the Worcestershire town into a hub for extracting the mineral for food preservation, and making soap and chemicals.

Upwich Brine Well - now Vines Park - was the primary site for extracting brine using manpower and wooden buckets, dating back to the 13th Century.

However, Droitwich became a booming salt town in later years.

The history project includes new boards in the brine pit at Vines Park and planned boards at Gurney's Lane.

The heritage centre has also expanded its guided town walk to offer a tour inside Tower Hill, giving people the chance to learn more about the salt extraction process and how it continues to fuel Droitwich Lido today.

Councillor Richard Morris said: "The improvements delivered over recent years, culminating in this new heritage animation, have transformed how people can experience and understand our unique salt heritage."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links