Droitwich: A Pictorial History (Pictorial History Series) by Bob Field & Lyn Blewitt
Droitwich has a remarkable heritage. Its natural springs have made it the home of salt making since the Bronze Age and a significant industry since the hon Age. The Romans, Saxons and Normans controlled the industry and the wealth it generated, but in the century the town’s burgesses were granted a monopoly by royal charter. For nearly five hundred years Droitwich had a stable and fairly prosperous existence as an industrial and market centre. After the ending of the monopoly, salt production increased greatly through the 18th and l9th centuries.
As the salt industry declined, towards the end of the last century, the spa town was developed, which flourished into the middle of the present century and is fondly remembered by many people in the Midlands and elsewhere. Sadly, like many other towns, Droitwich has been greatly altered in the past two decades and much of its historic character has been lost. This adds greatly to the interest of this book which, in addition to an outline of the town’s unique history, from archaeological and documentary sources, provide a vivid, visual impression of its appearance in the past in a profusion of carefully captioned old photographs. Many have never previously been published anf they reveal the people of ‘old Droitwich and what the town itself looked like, a century or more ago, as nothing else can. |
| Bob Field & Lyn Blewitt |
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