Renowned for its association with the legendary outlaw Robin Hood, who is said to have roamed Sherwood Forest, just outside the city it is also known for its strong heritage in the lace-making industry, with the Lace Market being a popular tourist destination.
What is less known is that Nottingham has the UK’s largest network of caves – over 800 are hidden beneath its streets. At The City of Caves, you can discover the largest publicly available section of this vast underground network and immerse yourself in the winding passageways of an underground world. The caves include World War 2 air raid shelters and a medieval tannery.
Earlier this year it was confirmed the number of caves under Nottingham now stands at 924. Scott Lomax, the city council’s archaeologist, said the figure was over double the number of discovered caves, which were known about when modern records began in 2009.
“I feel confident that within the next year, we’ll be able to say that Nottingham has more than 1,000 caves representing 1,000 years of history,” he added.
Nottingham is built upon soft sandstone, which meant that caves were relatively easy to carve out, and many date back to the medieval period.
The caves have been used for a variety of reasons throughout history – ranging from dungeons to bomb shelters. As far back as 868, a Welsh monk named Asser referred to Nottingham as Tig Guocobauc, meaning “house” or “place of caves”.
Beneath the former Broadmarsh Shopping Centre are the last remnants of Drury Hill, a street in the former 19th Century slums of Narrow Marsh. Overcrowding led to people living in grotto-like caves.The City of Caves attraction on Cliff Road allows visitors to see the basement walls of those slums and tanneries.
But this fascinating East Midlands city has another claim to fame. It is also home to oldest pub in England – Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. The grade II listed public house, claims to have been established in 1189 – the year that Richard the Lionheart became King, although there is no documentation to verify this date.
The building rests against Castle Rock, upon which Nottingham Castle is built, and is attached to several caves, carved out of the soft sandstone. These were reputedly originally used as a brewhouse for the castle, dating from the medieval period.
The earliest known reference to the name “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem” was in 1799. Before being known by its current name, it is believed that the pub was named “The Pilgrim” and references to this name date back to 1751. The current name is believed to come from the belief that pilgrims or crusaders would stop at the inn on their journey to Jerusalem. Locals often use a shortened version of the name, “the Trip”.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is one of several pubs claiming to be the oldest in England – others that claim to be the oldest include Ye Olde Salutation Inn and The Bell Inn, also in Nottingham and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
It is now a Greene King family-friendly pub restaurant serving comfort food like chilli and pies and is dog-friendly too. The pub also has bar games and a beer garden.
The pub’s website says: “Cherished by locals and tourists alike, the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem has long stood as a testament to Nottingham’s rich history and community spirit. Although this pub’s legacy may be a curious compendium of myth and legend, signifiers of centuries past can be found in its various nooks and crannies, and there is no denying the palpable sense of intrigue as you step through the front door.”