At an early date Curriers were ordered to work indoors and not to carry on their trade in the street, and there were penalties for creating nuisances when preparing skins. A local law clearly stated that skins were previously dressed on the banks of the river was carried on continuously until modern times, and those so doing were graded as glovers and saddlers. There was continuous traffic on the Severn from Bristol, bring skins, especially French and Italian lambskins, and skins were also bought from a 15 to 20 mile radius into Worcester. Lime pits were situated in Malvern Road, but these were really sugar 'butts' which had come up the Severn, and after being emptied were sunk in the ground, puddled in clay, and used as liming pits. Skins were washed at the 'slip' at the bottom of Dolday. Workers started at 4am from the dressing yard for the river and were provided by the employer with 1lb of meat per man for breakfast.