Droitwich Spa: Turning Salt into Silver

Given that sea water is salty, it is not surprising to find salt pans by the Atlantic or on the Mediterranean coast. But how has salt been produced in Droitwich since prehistoric times? The answer is simply that the ground is rich in rock salt. The brine from the town's salt springs is far denser than sea water - 2½ lbs could be extracted by boiling a gallon of Droitwich's brine (about 250g from each litre).

Droitwich was an important Roman crossroads - the suggested map shows that the A38(T), the B4090 and the minor road to the north, Crutch Lane, all have Roman origins. They had a fort at Dodderhill (just north of Vines Park), and when the railway was constructed in 1847 two mosaic pavements were stumbled upon. Later archaeological work found a Roman corridor house about 130ft (40m) long.

Salt tax was a good earner for the monarch, up until its abolition in 1825. Ownership of 25 salt-evaporating pans contributed to the wealth of the Wintour family, who gained notoriety in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot.

In 1845, when aged 28, John Corbett used capital from his father's canal business's profits to buy and update a derelict salt works about 4½ miles (7.2km) north east, at Stoke Prior. He did the right thing at the right time. His works, Europe's largest, made him a fortune, much of which he pumped back into the company, improving working conditions and raising wages (to the extent that wives no longer needed to work), and also into the area, Droitwich Spa in particular. In France, in 1855, he met Anna (or Hannah) O'Meara, who lived in Paris with her French mother and Irish father. Corbett married her the following year. They had six children. Such was her apparent craving for France that he commissioned an architect to build him a French château, Château Impney, completed in 1875 for a staggering £247,000. Despite this, they separated after 28 years of marriage - presumably the house was not the problem. In 1879 Corbett bought, and vastly improved, St Andrew's House. He renamed it the Raven Hotel, after the raven on the Corbett family's coat of arms (from the French for raven, 'le corbeau'? which sounds a bit like 'Corbett').

To some extent, the use of ice and, later, refrigeration, as a means of preserving meats and other foods contributed to the decline of Droitwich's salt production, which ceased in 1922. The Worcestershire Brine Baths Hotel on St Andrew's Road is, in its own way, 'spectacular' for it has been shut for roughly two decades. The site is in the hands of the same people who own the Raven Hotel (just across the way) and Château Impney. It may have been flattened or put to some use, at least, by the time you do this walk.

While you're there

Go along Tower Hill to peep in at the Pump Room. The brine wells here were constructed in the 1890s but stood idle until 1921. Their function now is to supply the brine baths at Droitwich's private hospital.

What to look for

Walk an extra 60yds (55m) at the allotments to view the arched gateway to Westwood House, with its distinctive stars and wheatsheaves on the Pakingtons' coat of arms. The drably coloured Westwood House (now upmarket flats) had four diagonal wings added to the 1600 building in the 1660s - presumably this shape was to reflect the stars on the Pakingtons' coat of arms.

Where to eat and drink

Just about every need is catered for here. Along High Street and just before Friar Street is the Star and Garter, offering cheap and cheerful food and a children's menu. The 15th-century, timber-framed Spats Coffee House at 22 High Street has home-made cakes, and you can get coffee all day at Spider's Wine Bar (near Orchard House).