Some Background... Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem is the oldest inn in England, dating back to 1189 AD. This makes the inn around 824 years old. It is located at the bottom of the cliff which acts as foundation for Nottingham Castle. With in the inn is a system of caves that the building stretches into. This is a signature feature of Nottingham’s past, there are numerous caves and tunnels riddled below the surface of the city which follow through hundreds of years of history. The inn was visited by soldiers in the army of Richard The Lionheart, who frequently used Nottingham Castle as a stronghold. At the time, King Richard had launched a crusade and so many soldiers, or crusaders, were sent to Jerusalem to fight. It is likely that this is the reason for the name of the inn, being that this may very well have been the last place that they would stop during their journey before reaching Jerusalem. Aside from providing the usual services of an inn, it was explained in the inn itself that kegs would be sent up to the castle through carved out space in the ceiling of one of the inn’s caves. They would use a rope to pull the kegs up, providing drink for the castle’s inhabitants. |
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem is one of Nottinghams biggest, but perhaps underrated, features. The oldest put in England is quite a claim to fame for the city. It has over 800 years since it opened for business, but in a world of ever increasing modernisation and contemporary architecture, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem has managed to hold on to what makes it so unique. The photo to the left was taken by me during my visit, the one above it is an old image from the inn's website. Aside from one or two minor differences, the structure of the inn itself has remained virtually unchanged. Straight from my first view of the pub, I could already feel a sense of history.
http://www.triptojerusalem.com/about-the-name - 10/10/2013
http://nottinghamcavessurvey.org.uk/history.htm - 10/10/2013
http://www.triptojerusalem.com/the-legend-of-ye-olde-trip-to-jerusalem - 10/10/2013