For a town of just 25,000 people, Droitwich has a history that rivals some of the UK’s earliest settlements, places like Abingdon, Colchester, and Ipswich, all of which claim Bronze Age or earlier occupation.
Droitwich is a mostly Iron Age site, although it’s far more well known for its Roman element. These invaders from Europe built the spa that the town gets its Sunday name from – Droitwich Spa – and set up an industry around its brine springs, collecting salt.
Pop Culture
It’s perhaps no surprise the Roman flag flies higher than the Iron Age one in Droitwich, not just for the mass of structures the later civilisation built, but the public fondness for Caesar’s legions.
Last year brought us the long-rumoured sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, this time with Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in the metal helm(s). While it likely won’t etch itself in pop culture history like its ancestor from the year 2000, it’s still a worthy addition to the canon.
Gladiator, the franchise, has grown beyond its roots in the year 2000 to star in several properties, including an official slot game of the same name. The Romans have also inspired a similar game, Centurion, and its trio of spin-offs. Developers in the niche are particularly fond of historical and mythological topics. Ancient Egypt and Scandinavia receive the same treatment.
Evidently, the British Iron Age gets overshadowed by the more colourful Romans, which is perhaps why Droitwich’s local ancestors, the Dobunni, go relatively unknown.
Territory
In a brief mention, the Roman Britain website claims Droitwich lay “in the territory” of the Dobunni. These people were Celts who claimed the distant town of Cirencester as their capital, and mostly focused the sight of their hill forts on the Avon Gorge.
While the extent of territory can be a difficult thing to prove, especially as Dobunni coin distribution seems to have only stretched as far north as Evesham (about 30 minutes by car to the south of Droitwich), the idea of the Dobunni as an early holder of the Droitwich area persists. As an alternative, Droitwich may have actually fallen in the realm of the Cornovii, a tribe bordering the Dobunni to the north.
Trade Network
Of course, all these names are meaningless without some description of who these people were. The Ancient Origins website describes the Dobunni as “peaceful” farmers who benefited from the richness of local resources. They existed in Britain for about 250 years before they were assimilated into Rome, along with many other tribes in what we know today as England and Wales.
Perhaps their most striking addition to the archaeological record is their coins. Roughly minted (later Roman coins had their faces ‘printed’ with a hammer), Dobunni coins include illustrations of animals and symbols that resemble astronomical objects. Their presence in the north suggests a humble trade network with Cirencester at its centre.
So, whether they were true sons and daughters of Droitwich or not, the Dobunni at least influenced nearby lands. There may well be Dobunni progeny in our midst today.
