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. |
My Visit...
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.
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.
The inside of the pub contains new furniture and has been lit up, but they have been careful about how they have done it. They have kept hold of the atmosphere that the inn would have provided without any modern influence. For example, the furniture, whilst not old, is traditional and wooden. Their style is in keeping with that of the building. But perhaps my favourite feature is the use of lighting. A lot of buildings now, even pubs, will use more modern lighting systems that are brighter and save power. But usually these lights are whiter, or even harsher to the eye. The lights in Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem are far warmer, almost amber. They cast dimmer shadows and travel short distances. The effect is very similar to that of light provided by flames, which is how the inn would have been lit in the past. Despite cold walls and echoey sound, these lights did help to provide a more comforting and cosy atmosphere. This said though, there were still elements of claustrophobia at times. Because the the pub travels into caves, there are some tight spaces to negotiate.
I have a lot of appreciation and respect for the way that this inn has been maintained. In a recent lecture I was in, by Richard Dundas, a comment was made that with an old building there are two main options for development. The first is to try and keep hold of the original qualities and blend the new in with the old. The second is to do something radically different and contemporary. In this case, I am glad that nothing modern has been forced upon Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem. Whereas I agree that modern additions can work, in my opinion that would have been the wrong decision for this building. They have opted to keep it feeling traditional and historical and for that I am glad. To sit in the back corners of a cave in Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem is to sit back into a part of history. And I think that that is something important, something special, and something which should be maintained and treasured.
Bibliography
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
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