Droitwich Spa

[Traveller]

We are thinking of moving our boat to Droitwich Spa Marina and indeed relocating to the Droitwich area to live (but not live on the boat). Can anybody give us a feel for what the general area is like and especially Droitwich as a town? It would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks

[eightacre]

Droitwich is a pleasant enough place to visit - good shops, pubs and Indian; but I wouldn't know about living there. Close to M5, handy for Worcester and Birmingham. The marina is filling up slowly, but there are alternatives in the area.

[Tim]

Liked it there, however the noise from the M5 was a bit much for me.

[Jus11972]

We have recently moved into droitwich marina although we are using boat just a couple nights a week at the moment. It's our first marina so I can't really compare but facilities are good. Location works well for us ie close to a town, motorway etc. droitwich for me at the moment is just so so. It's got what u need but I wouldn't say it's my dream place to live. However we are still investigating the area. It depends what your looking for. Where I stand at the moment is... Marina I love, location is really convenient, like been next to rugby club, slight lack of decent nearby pubs, you are close to supermarkets.

 

Hope that helps! Good luck

[Traveller]

Having driven over there today we have decided the noise pollution from the M5 is too much for us. And as stated, Droitwich itself is seemingly nothing fantastic, although it probably has many hidden gems.

[trackman]

The Gardner's Arms is fantastic, really near the canal in the town, 5 mins from the basin moorings.

Droitwich also has a Waitrose for those who like their supermarkets posh!

Neither are handy for the marina I guess, but relevant in the context of the town as a whole.

Motorway noise would probably put me off the marina though.

[hughc]

We came past this marina a few weeks back. Why on earth was it built where it is? Even if only half of the boats turn left on leaving it means that each time this happens the long pond on the W&B loses a lockfull of water. If, as is posssible, many people use this pond for a lock free short trip then the W&B will lose another lockfull when they return.. It could have been built a little higher and open onto the W&B which would have avoided this problem. The W&B needs all the help it can get in terms of depth. It is very very shallow without the lockage from Droitwich Spa. Regards, HughC

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Go to the spa salt baths for a treat. Salt content so high you cannot sink.

[Max Sinclair]

Pity the brine baths have shut

 

The Fir Tree at Dunhampstead is good next to the cana

[pooie4]

I live half the week on the marina , to be honest after a week there I never noticed the m5 noise which does drop off later on the rugby club is noisier!. droitwich is ok as long as you avoid the big housing estate , the other end of town. as for it being where it is further up the hill is house hold land fill so nothing going on that then...

[Giggetty]

I was a waged lockkeeper on the Hanbury flight shortly after the opening of the Droitwich Canals. Part of my job was to keep an eye on the Worcs/Bham canal level at the corresponding weir. I never saw a drop of more than 1 inch even during the busiest periods-20-30 boat movements per day. So it is a myth that the Junction Canal steals a significant amount from the Long Pound.

 

The pound levels below lock 3 sometimes dropped, hence the need for careful use of the three Hanbury lock sideponds. However, the opening of the Droitwich Spa Marina, which itself acts as a sidepond, has largely mitigated this problem. A volunteer lock-keeper is now in post during the summer months.

 

Droitwich is a lovely town, with much to see of the old salt industry and some excellent pubs and restaurants. You can walk to it from the marina. The short term moorings at Netherwich Basin are practically in the middle of the shopping.