Shell - Ford

Many thanks to the folks at Shell Ford  for facilitating this camera's location and to Worcestershire County Council  for capitally funding its installation.  Please click here for flooding information regarding this location. During the Roman era, nearby  Drotwich Spa held the name Salinae and occupied a strategic position at the intersection of multiple Roman roads. Noteworthy archaeological discoveries occurred during railway construction in 1847 when Roman mosaic pavements were unearthed. The ninth-century Historia Brittonum, a text that explores various folklore aspects of Britain's landscape, contains a passage that seemingly describes Droitwich Spa's hot spring and implies its continued development at that time. The passage states: "The third marvel is a hot pool, which is in the country of the Hwicce [near Worcester] and is surrounded by a wall made of bricks and stone. Men go into it to bathe at all times, and the temperature changes for each of them as they wish: if one man wants a cold bath, it will be cold, and if another wants a hot bath, it will be hot."Droitwich remained a relatively modest town until the 1960s, with a population barely reaching 7,000. However, subsequent decades witnessed substantial growth driven by an influx of residents from Birmingham, leading to the development of numerous housing estates in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2014, large-scale housing projects received consent for construction, including the Copcut development comprising 750 houses and the Yew Tree Hill development encompassing 765 houses. Additionally, several other in-fill developments were also approved.In July 2007, Droitwich experienced severe flooding as a consequence of heavy rainfall that affected the entire UK. This flooding garnered national attention as it submerged a significant portion of the subsided high street. Many shops along the high street remained closed for nearly a year. The flooding originated from the stream and canal in Vines Park, traversed Roman Way, and spread across the High Street, approximately 110 yards from the source stream.Himbleton Cricket Club, participating in the Worcestershire County League Division 2, holds significance as one of the villages associated with the travels of Catholic anarchists led by Guy Fawkes.