38:
697:
417:
members of a local society – The
Nottingham Historical Arts Society – made a detailed recording of the caves to show how important they were. They were recognised as being of national importance and scheduled as an ancient monument. Plans for the Centre were changed and most of the caves were saved. The 2418 Sherwood Squadron Air Training Corps and teams from Rushcliffe School cleared the caves of rubble. In 1972 the Friends of Nottingham Museum began running guided tours of the caves to give people a chance to visit them.
477:
was cut underneath the Player's factory in
Radford and was capable of sheltering 9000 people. By February 1941, 86 caves in Nottingham were available as public shelters. The sandstone caves were also a useful source of sand for sandbags and a number of holes were dug to supply the demand. These caves were once separate caverns but were joined together during the Second World War so that they could be used as air raid shelters.
160:
447:
rectangular vats here were lined with clay. Skins may have been hung vertically in these. Both caves had wells. It is probable that the caves were part of a larger tannery, with a yard and sheds in front of the cliffs. The size of the pits in the cave suggest smaller skins – like sheep or goats – were being tanned, rather than cowhide.
476:
During the Second World War, the people of
Nottingham used the caves as air raid shelters to protect them from the bombs which descended upon the city. Older caves were re-opened and made suitable and new purpose-built air raid shelter caves were cut into the sandstone. The largest of these new caves
247:
in
Britain. The Pillar Cave was originally cut around 1250 but had been filled in by a rockfall by 1400. It was cleared and reopened as part of the tannery in 1500, with circular pits cut to hold barrels. A second cave was also cut with rectangular clay-lined vats. The small size of the vats in these
378:
People in
Nottingham have been living in caves like these since at least the 17th century. These caves and other locally were inhabited until 1845 when the St. Mary's Enclosure Act was passed. This banned the renting of cellars and caves as homes for the poor. The largest group of cave houses was at
307:
Beneath the houses, shops and offices of
Nottingham lie hundreds of caves. Few people in Nottingham are aware of this labyrinth, which exists underneath the city streets, and fewer still have visited them. Nottingham has more man-made caves than anywhere else in Britain. People have worked and lived
229:
Shopping Centre began in the late 1960s, but the opening up of the caves to vandals and plans to fill them in with concrete caused a public outcry. A detailed study by
Nottingham City Council, assisted by The Nottingham Historical Arts Society, led to the caves being scheduled as an ancient monument
461:
These basement walls are all that remains of the buildings of Drury Hill, which was one of the main streets in the Narrow Marsh area of the city. In
Medieval Nottingham, this area was a wealthy neighborhood but by the 19th century, some of the worst slums in Britain could be found here. Housing was
446:
Two caves were used, cut in at the foot of the cliff face. For the Pillar Cave, this was its second use. Cut before 1270, it had been buried by a rockfall in about 1400. It was reopened as part of the tannery in about 1500. Circular pits were cut to hold barrels. Next to it a new cave was cut. The
431:
This is the only known underground tannery in
Britain. It was in use from 1500-1640. Tanning is the process of making leather from animal skins. In medieval times it was used for making shoes, belts, gloves, harnesses, armor, and bottles. These caves were cut into the cliff face and opened out to
256:
The basement walls here are all that remains of the buildings of Drury Hill, once a wealthy neighborhood in the medieval city that by the 19th century had degenerated into one of the worst slums in
Britain. Poor families slept, ate and lived in the single room basements here with overcrowding and
416:
The decision to build the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre was taken in the mid-1960s. When the Centre was designed it was decided to fill the caves with concrete. Once the site was cleared, in 1968, the caves were left open to vandals. There was a public outcry. Nottingham City Council, assisted by
308:
in them for over 1,000 years. None of these caves were formed naturally. They were all cut into the sandstone by the city's inhabitants for use as houses, cellars and place of work. Each cave in unique and created for a specific purpose, some have elaborate carvings, pillars and staircases.
230:
and the development plans were subsequently changed to preserve most of the caves. The caves were cleared by volunteers from the 2418 Sherwood Squadron Air Training Corps and Rushcliffe School and opened to public tours by the Friends of Nottingham Museum in 1978.
462:
in short supply in Nottingham and the poorest families often rented basements to live in. Entire families slept, ate and lived in a single room. The overcrowding and poor sanitation made it a breeding ground for diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis and smallpox.
432:
daylight. At the rear of the cavern was a yard where other burning processes were undertaken. Tanning was a very long process and the work was hard, dirty and very unhealthy. The awful smells from the tanning process clung to the workmen's clothes and hair.
348:
The area which now makes up Nottingham city centre was once described as Tigguo Cobauc which means "Place of Caves". The only reference to Tigguo Cobauc appears in The Life of King Alfred by Welsh monk Asser, Bishop of Sherborne, who visited around
29:
363:
Nottingham was built upon a sandstone ridge. The soft sandstone was ideal for digging into and caves can easily be dug with simple hand tools. These caves are some of the oldest in the city and pottery found here has been dated to between
221:
As of 2018 more than 800 caves in the city have been catalogued by Nottingham's City Archaeologist, Scott Lomax, including approximately 200 that were only rediscovered, through research by the City Archaeologist, since 2016.
206:
banned the renting of cellars and caves as homes for the poor. None of the caves are natural; they were all cut into the sandstone for use as houses, cellars and places of work by the inhabitants of the city.
211:
If a man is poor he had only to go to Nottingham with a mattock, a shovel, a crow, an iron, a chisel or a mallet, and with such instruments he may play mole and work himself a hole or burrow for his family.
248:
caves indicates that they were probably used for sheep or goats skins rather than cowhide. There was an opening to the River Leen where they would wash the skins in the town's drinking water.
197:(893). The caves here are some of the oldest remaining in the city, with pottery finds dating some of them to 1270–1300, and were inhabited from at least the 17th century until 1845 when the
285:, including a particularly severe one on 8 May 1941 that is recreated as part of the tour. Holes were also dug here to supply the sand used in the sandbags that helped to protect the city.
118:
based on a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery, public house cellars, and as an air raid shelter. The caves are listed as a
507:
1230:
1220:
147:
but can currently be accessed from Garner's Hill due to construction works in the Broadmarsh Centre, scheduled to finish in 2021. The attraction, part of the
1065:
500:
1225:
493:
1181:
1147:
1099:
321:
666:
140:
name refers to the fact that the city of Nottingham has hundreds of man-made caves, which have been in use for over a thousand years.
879:
546:
1006:
671:
199:
661:
641:
571:
566:
171:
ridge which can easily be dug with simple hand tools to create artificial cave dwellings. Indeed, Nottingham was described as
1240:
187:
676:
281:
that were found in the sandstone beneath the city by February 1941 to protect its inhabitants during the bombing attacks of
909:
576:
132:, Drury Hill being the medieval street under which they were formerly located until it was demolished to make way for the
1157:
1111:
787:
681:
631:
37:
1022:
929:
889:
833:
828:
823:
782:
1162:
1037:
996:
991:
726:
144:
133:
70:
1235:
939:
843:
767:
741:
716:
596:
1027:
960:
924:
818:
711:
611:
581:
899:
869:
777:
762:
696:
148:
1152:
1132:
1075:
981:
853:
736:
1142:
1106:
1001:
986:
556:
904:
646:
621:
616:
1137:
1058:
1053:
894:
884:
541:
1032:
626:
392:
119:
111:
243:
Two caves cut into the cliff face and opening out to daylight housed the only known underground
86:
1087:
934:
914:
838:
772:
636:
606:
244:
919:
591:
531:
278:
176:
123:
1167:
1127:
965:
874:
792:
601:
561:
551:
536:
159:
1214:
848:
802:
797:
731:
721:
686:
656:
651:
586:
379:
Sneinton Hermitage and some of these were inhabited up until 1867. Sadly none remain.
202:
1094:
485:
282:
262:
184:
28:
1082:
1070:
955:
517:
226:
115:
74:
1196:
1183:
168:
277:
Some of the caves here were joined and expanded to house one of 86 public
266:
258:
322:"Entrance to Broadmarsh Centre is closing as construction work begins"
190:
158:
489:
151:, has been run by the Egalitarian Trust since opening 2004.
143:
The City of Caves was accessed from the upper level of the
393:"'Hundreds' of undiscovered caves underneath Nottingham"
414:"Broadmarsh Centre Under Construction". City of Caves.
1120:
1046:
1015:
974:
948:
862:
811:
750:
704:
524:
81:
66:
48:
474:"Drury Hill Caves during the War". City of Caves.
459:"Drury Hill & Narrow Marsh". City of Caves.
257:poor sanitation making it a breeding ground for
209:
501:
8:
21:
508:
494:
486:
36:
27:
20:
300:
298:
234:Caves in Nottingham from medieval to now
294:
16:Caves attraction in Nottingham, England
1231:Buildings and structures in Nottingham
1221:Scheduled monuments in Nottinghamshire
305:"Caves of Nottingham". City of Caves.
376:"Living Underground". City of Caves.
7:
1148:Nottingham Victoria railway station
778:Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery
617:Nottingham Roman Catholic Cathedral
320:Bunn, Matthew (22 February 2019).
14:
1226:Tourist attractions in Nottingham
798:Nottingham Natural History Museum
695:
361:"Tigguo Cobauc". City of Caves.
346:"Tigguo Cobauc". City of Caves.
751:Museums, centres and galleries
444:"The Tannery". City of Caves.
429:"The Tannery". City of Caves.
1:
65:
1112:Nottingham Greyhound Stadium
788:Nottingham Industrial Museum
632:Oldknows Factory, Nottingham
167:Nottingham sits upon a soft
1066:National Watersports Centre
1023:Nottingham Trent University
890:Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
834:Nottingham General Cemetery
829:Church Cemetery, Nottingham
783:Nottingham Heritage Railway
677:Watson Fothergill's offices
391:Neil Heath (22 July 2017).
54:; 20 years ago
1257:
1038:Nottingham Central Library
997:Nottingham railway station
992:Nottingham Express Transit
956:Broadmarsh Shopping Centre
693:
145:Broadmarsh Shopping Centre
134:Broadmarsh Shopping Centre
71:Broadmarsh Shopping Centre
863:Theatre and entertainment
742:Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem
44:
35:
26:
1028:University of Nottingham
966:Victoria Shopping Centre
819:Forest Recreation Ground
612:Nottingham Council House
900:Nottingham Arts Theatre
812:Parks and public spaces
763:National Justice Museum
195:The Life of King Alfred
149:National Justice Museum
1153:Nottingham Whitefriars
1133:Greyfriars, Nottingham
1100:Nottinghamshire C.C.C.
1076:Nottingham Forest F.C.
982:Broadmarsh bus station
854:Woodthorpe Grange Park
737:Ye Olde Salutation Inn
516:Places of interest in
219:
164:
89:.nationaljusticemuseum
1241:Caves used for hiding
1143:Nottingham Guild Hall
1107:Nottingham Racecourse
987:East Midlands Airport
880:Elite Picture Theatre
557:Bromley House Library
162:
1007:Victoria bus station
905:Nottingham Playhouse
622:Nottingham Guildhall
225:Construction of the
1193: /
1138:Nottingham Exchange
1059:Nottingham Panthers
1054:National Ice Centre
961:The Exchange Arcade
895:National Ice Centre
885:Lace Market Theatre
667:St Nicholas' Church
572:County War Memorial
567:Central Post Office
542:24-26, Low Pavement
188:Bishop of Sherborne
129:Caves at Drury Hill
23:
1197:52.9510°N 1.1466°W
1033:Nottingham College
910:Royal Concert Hall
627:Old Assembly Rooms
547:All Saints' Church
525:Historic buildings
165:
163:A medieval tannery
120:scheduled monument
112:visitor attraction
1176:
1175:
1103:
1091:
1088:Notts County F.C.
1079:
1062:
839:Old Market Square
773:Nottingham Castle
672:St Peter's Church
647:Severn's Building
637:Plumptre Hospital
607:Nottingham Castle
577:City War Memorial
279:air raid shelters
105:
104:
1248:
1236:Caves of England
1208:
1207:
1205:
1204:
1203:
1202:52.9510; -1.1466
1198:
1194:
1191:
1190:
1189:
1186:
1158:Pierrepont House
1097:
1085:
1073:
1056:
768:Green's Windmill
699:
682:Willoughby House
662:St Mary's Church
642:Queen's Chambers
597:Green's Windmill
592:Flying Horse Inn
532:10, Low Pavement
510:
503:
496:
487:
480:
479:
471:
465:
464:
456:
450:
449:
441:
435:
434:
426:
420:
419:
411:
405:
404:
402:
400:
388:
382:
381:
373:
367:
366:
358:
352:
351:
343:
337:
336:
334:
332:
317:
311:
310:
302:
273:Air-raid shelter
252:Drury Hill slums
239:Medieval tannery
217:
124:Historic England
101:
98:
96:
94:
92:
90:
88:
77:, United Kingdom
62:
60:
55:
40:
31:
24:
1256:
1255:
1251:
1250:
1249:
1247:
1246:
1245:
1211:
1210:
1201:
1199:
1195:
1192:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1180:
1179:
1177:
1172:
1168:Walter Fountain
1128:Black Boy Hotel
1116:
1042:
1011:
970:
944:
930:The Cornerhouse
875:Broadway Cinema
858:
824:Highfields Park
807:
746:
700:
691:
602:Newdigate House
562:Canning Terrace
552:Boulevard Works
537:19, Castle Gate
520:
514:
484:
483:
473:
472:
468:
458:
457:
453:
443:
442:
438:
428:
427:
423:
413:
412:
408:
398:
396:
390:
389:
385:
375:
374:
370:
360:
359:
355:
345:
344:
340:
330:
328:
319:
318:
314:
304:
303:
296:
291:
275:
254:
241:
236:
218:
215:
157:
126:under the name
85:
58:
56:
53:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1254:
1252:
1244:
1243:
1238:
1233:
1228:
1223:
1213:
1212:
1174:
1173:
1171:
1170:
1165:
1163:Plumptre House
1160:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1124:
1122:
1121:Lost landmarks
1118:
1117:
1115:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1092:
1080:
1068:
1063:
1050:
1048:
1044:
1043:
1041:
1040:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1019:
1017:
1013:
1012:
1010:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
984:
978:
976:
972:
971:
969:
968:
963:
958:
952:
950:
946:
945:
943:
942:
937:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
902:
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
872:
866:
864:
860:
859:
857:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
815:
813:
809:
808:
806:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
754:
752:
748:
747:
745:
744:
739:
734:
729:
727:Royal Children
724:
719:
714:
708:
706:
702:
701:
694:
692:
690:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
559:
554:
549:
544:
539:
534:
528:
526:
522:
521:
515:
513:
512:
505:
498:
490:
482:
481:
466:
451:
436:
421:
406:
383:
368:
353:
338:
326:nottinghampost
312:
293:
292:
290:
287:
274:
271:
253:
250:
240:
237:
235:
232:
213:
181:Place of Caves
156:
153:
103:
102:
97:/city-of-caves
83:
79:
78:
68:
64:
63:
50:
46:
45:
42:
41:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1253:
1242:
1239:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1229:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1218:
1216:
1209:
1206:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1125:
1123:
1119:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1101:
1096:
1093:
1089:
1084:
1081:
1077:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1060:
1055:
1052:
1051:
1049:
1045:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1014:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
979:
977:
973:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
953:
951:
947:
941:
940:Theatre Royal
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
867:
865:
861:
855:
852:
850:
849:Wollaton Park
847:
845:
844:The Arboretum
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
816:
814:
810:
804:
803:Wollaton Hall
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
758:City of Caves
756:
755:
753:
749:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
732:Thurland Hall
730:
728:
725:
723:
722:Old Angel Inn
720:
718:
717:Cock and Hoop
715:
713:
710:
709:
707:
705:Public Houses
703:
698:
688:
687:Wollaton Hall
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
657:Sherwin House
655:
653:
652:Sheriff House
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
587:Enfield House
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
558:
555:
553:
550:
548:
545:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
529:
527:
523:
519:
511:
506:
504:
499:
497:
492:
491:
488:
478:
470:
467:
463:
455:
452:
448:
440:
437:
433:
425:
422:
418:
410:
407:
394:
387:
384:
380:
372:
369:
365:
357:
354:
350:
342:
339:
327:
323:
316:
313:
309:
301:
299:
295:
288:
286:
284:
280:
272:
270:
268:
264:
260:
251:
249:
246:
238:
233:
231:
228:
223:
212:
208:
205:
204:
203:Inclosure Act
201:
196:
192:
189:
186:
182:
178:
177:Old Brythonic
174:
173:Tig Guocobauc
170:
161:
154:
152:
150:
146:
141:
139:
138:City of Caves
135:
131:
130:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
108:City of Caves
100:
84:
80:
76:
72:
69:
51:
47:
43:
39:
34:
30:
25:
22:City of Caves
19:
1178:
1095:Trent Bridge
1002:Trent Bridge
925:Savoy Cinema
757:
712:The Bell Inn
582:County House
475:
469:
460:
454:
445:
439:
430:
424:
415:
409:
397:. Retrieved
386:
377:
371:
362:
356:
349:900 AD.
347:
341:
329:. Retrieved
325:
315:
306:
283:World War II
276:
263:tuberculosis
255:
242:
224:
220:
210:
198:
194:
180:
172:
166:
142:
137:
136:. The newer
128:
127:
107:
106:
18:
1200: /
1083:Meadow Lane
1071:City Ground
870:Albert Hall
399:13 December
49:Established
1215:Categories
1185:52°57′04″N
935:The Palais
518:Nottingham
364:1270–1300.
289:References
227:Broadmarsh
200:St. Mary's
116:Nottingham
75:Nottingham
1188:1°08′48″W
1016:Education
975:Transport
920:Rock City
216:Anon 1870
169:sandstone
949:Shopping
267:smallpox
214:—
179:meaning
67:Location
331:18 July
259:cholera
245:tannery
193:in his
183:by the
155:History
82:Website
57: (
95:/venue
1047:Sport
915:Ocean
793:Trade
395:. BBC
191:Asser
185:Welsh
110:is a
401:2018
333:2019
265:and
91:.org
59:2004
52:2004
175:in
122:by
114:in
93:.uk
87:www
1217::
324:.
297:^
269:.
261:,
73:,
1102:)
1098:(
1090:)
1086:(
1078:)
1074:(
1061:)
1057:(
509:e
502:t
495:v
403:.
335:.
99:/
61:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
