Town Tour - Walk the Walk or Ride the Ride
After crossing the swing bridge enter the town by Ricketts Lane and turn right into Friar Street. This was the centre of salt making in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. By medieval times this was the “upmarket” end of the town where wealthy salt merchants lived. The building on the corner of Ricketts Lane as you turn right into Friar Street was previously used as a mental hospital.
The Old Cock InnWalking or cycling along Friar Street you will see the Old Cock Inn where we are sure the landlord will be pleased to see you. The Inn has a long history as it was first licensed for the sale of alcohol in the reign of Queen Anne in 1712. Then it sold cider, ale and perry made from crushed and fermented pears. A powerful brew called Lambswool made from roasted apple pulp mixed with ale was also popular.
The church window on the first floor came from the medieval Church of St. Nicholas, which was also in Friar Street on the corner of Winnetts Lane. It was damaged by fire in 1291 and in the Civil War and was cleared from the site in the 19th century.
The carved head with a frog emerging from its mouth is reputed to represent Judge Jeffreys who is said to have held one of his assizes here after the Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685. Those found guilty of supporting the rebellion were either sentenced to death or transported to the West Indies.
Records of 1906 show that the borough of Droitwich had a greater number of public houses per head of population than anywhere else in the country, approximately one for every 100 inhabitants.
Priory HouseAt the end of Friar Street on the left hand side is Priory House most of which was built in the middle of the 17th century, except for a wing which dates back to about 1500 AD.
There is also a Queen Anne chimney with ornamental brickwork.
This would have been a wealthy salt merchant’s house.
Voluntary Fireman George DavisOpposite Priory House is the modern Fire Station, which fronts onto Saltway. In the early days of the Droitwich Spa Fire Service all the firemen were volunteers who held down other full time jobs in the town.
Turning around and returning down the street on your right is Norbury House, which is now flats and contains the present day Norbury Theatre.
Norbury TheatrePreviously it was one of the splendid Spa Hotels in the town and stands on the site where Captain Norbury’s house originally stood.
In the Second World War it was commandeered for American troops.
Norbury House is said to have a ghost.
Turn right by the side of Norbury House over Priory Lane into the St. Andrews Square Shopping Centre.
On a close by wall is a mural.
There are seven panels.
The seven panel mural
The two left hand panels represent Roman times. The bottom of the third panel shows King Ethelbald granting Evesham Abbey the right to Droitwich salt pit.
The fourth panel depicts King John who gave a charter, granting salt rights, to the burgesses of Droitwich in 1215. The fifth panel shows St Richard in his bishop’s robes and the sixth the Mayflower in which Edward Winslow of Droitwich sailed to America in 1620 as one of the Pilgrim Fathers. The last panel shows coins of each period.
St Andrews SquareShopping Centre
Continuing left from the mural into the St Andrews Shopping Centre, just past Carphone Warehouse, Argos and Wilkinsons you will see a statue commemorating Edward Winslow, produced by Sara Ingleby-MacKenzie the renowned sculptress.
The statue, unveiled in January 2009 depicts the symbolic spot where the Pilgrim Fathers landed near the head of Cape Cod on December 21, 1620. Their intended destination was the British colony of Virginia, but the Mayflower was blown 500 miles off course to what was later named the Plymouth Rock, an icon of American history.
Statue of Edward Winslow
The sculpture shows a relieved Edward Winslow taking his first unsteady steps onto dry land. Depicted kneeling on the Plymouth Rock he places one hand onto its surface in gratitude at his safe deliverance.
If your timing is good, you might be able to rest your aching limbs in the Muffin Break now for a well earned cup of celebrated coffee and a teasing muffin!
Leaving the Muffin Break behind you and turning right between New Look and M&Co, you will emerge back into Victoria Square.
You can end your tour here and pick up another day but first you could go back to the Heritage Centre at St. Richard’s House and take a look in the museum where there is a section on Droitwich Spa’s important place in the history of radio broadcasting.
Updated 27 Oct 2009