MYSTERY surrounds the future of Droitwich Spa’s Brine Baths complex.
The facility, in St Andrew’s Road, closed its doors over the weekend with members unaware of the reasons. A note on the door and an answer phone message blaming “unforeseen circumstances” is all that met regulars on Monday morning. The attraction of bathing in brine was a large factor in helping the town prosper throughout a major part of the 20th century.
A bathing pool has been on offer in the town since 1836 when local man Mr Gabb built the first Royal Brine Baths. In 1870 a Dr Bainbrigge and Mr Rock took over the baths, which John Corbett then bought from them.
He also bought the Royal George Hotel and redeveloped the site by replacing it with a new hotel attached to the baths making a complex called the Royal Brine Baths and Hotel. He built a second brine baths in 1888 called the Saint Andrew’s Brine Baths.
The brine baths became famous for treating rheumatic and arthritic problems and were not just open to hospital patients, but athletes, footballers, the rich and famous and holidaymakers.
The current Brine Bath complex opened in 1985 attached to the town’s private hospital.
Droitwich brine is pumped up from an underground lake 200 feet below the town. It is the strongest natural salt water known, containing 30 per cent of natural salts – that is 2.5lbs of salt per gallon of water.
A spokesman for Droitwich Spa Private Hospital failed to comment on the reasons for the closure before we went to press.
Worried resident Shirley Gandy, of Windsor Avenue, said: “We want to know what is happening. We have vouchers that need to be used and were planning to go last weekend.”
