The butcher, the blacksmith and a candlemaker
CITY’S CAVE NETWORK CONTAINED SUBTERRANEAN WORLD OF CHAPELS, CHEMISTS, BANKS – AND LEPERS
NOTTINGHAM is a city built on countless caves.
The ages of many of them are not known for sure, but some date back further than the oldest landmarks on the surface.
From caves under pubs used as beer cellars to caves that served as homes, they were put to many uses.
Some caves were used as post offices, as candles factories or to isolate lepers.
Local historian Joe Earp, of Beeston, has looked into the history of the caves and is also the leader of Nottingham Hidden History Team.
He discusses the city’s caves in the book Secret Nottingham, cowritten with Frank Earp.
Caves were used as:
BANK VAULT
Caves under Peck Lane that were destroyed in 1975 were on the site of Nottingham’s first bank founded by Thomas Smith (1631-1699) Reflecting on this landmark establishment, Joe writes: “He lived on the corner of Peck Lane. Being a trustworthy man, people from outlying districts, rather than take their money through the dangerous country roads, left it in the care of Mr T. Smith. For security, he had made under the kitchen basement of his shop three separate rooms cut out of solid rock, approached by a trap door and ladder, and another set of rock rooms below these approached by steps partly under the public street.”
BLACKSMITHS
On Bridlesmith Gate, a cave retains all the evidence that it was used as a forge. It has a large chimney where vast amounts of soot have been found and a narrow chimney to avoid rain falling on to a fire. BREWERY
Part of a network of caves in Goose Gate contained Nottingham’s first brewery. Simpson’s Brewery, built in 1892, contained three or four early cave malting complexes that were made into one cave to store barrels. The malt produced here was sold
There are butchering thralls, with spaces to put a bucket to catch the blood
Joe Earp
to local inns. Other pubs, like the Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, brewed their own beer in caves below their premises
BUTCHERS
The brewing cave network connects to another cave complex used as slaughterhouses. Joe explains: “It is not large enough to have coped with cattle and may have only been intended for sheep, calves, or pigs. In it, there are butchering thralls to cut the carcasses up on, with drains and spaces to put a bucket to catch the blood.”
Meat would have been treated with salt to preserve it.
CANDLEMAKING
Candlemaking was a tedious process that required constant heat to keep the tallow molten. It is thought that the practice of candlemaking would have taken place in a cave due to by-laws relating to curfews. Candlemakers could more easily carry out their work underground.
CHAPEL
Caves at Lenton Hermitage are perhaps the best known in Nottingham and were once a monastic church or chapel. Dating from at least the 12th century and known as St Mary Le Roche, it was founded as a satellite chapel to Lenton Priory. Within the church are aisles, pillars, an altar, kitchens, a refectory, and a dormitory. Services ceased around 1500 and it rapidly fell into decay.
CHEMIST
In a cave in Bridlesmith Gate a bench cut out of rock was found. It is known to have been used by a Mr Cox, a local chemist. He produced his patented “Black Oils” here and urn-like jars have also been found containing chemicals. DUNGEONS
Below Nottingham Castle, and near the Old Shire Hall on High Pavement, cells cut out of rock are still visible.
FISH TANK
One of Hermitage caves contains a fish tank. In Secret Nottingham, Joe and Frank Earp write: “The tank would have been for fish caught in the River Leen. It flowed past this site.
Fish were a vital and staple part of the diet of a medieval monk.”
GARDEROBE
Effectively a fancy name for a toilet!
A cave beneath Castle Gate is where one of the finest examples of a garderobe can be found in any Nottingham cave.
It measures two metres wide, five metres broad, and three metres deep.
LEPER COLONY
Caves to one side and the rear of a pub on Sherwood Street were used to house a leper colony. A hole was cut in the rock to act as a window facing the road. People would have pass food through here to the afflicted.
POST OFFICE
At the bottom of Hollowstone, the outer brick facade of a former Post Office seems to hide the fact that the rest of the premises are made up of caves cut into the cliff face.
PUB CELLAR
Frank and Joe Earp both state that just about every pub in Nottingham would have had a rock-cut cellar underneath. The best-preserved examples are those at the Ye Olde Salutation Inn, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and The Bell Inn. SUMMERHOUSE/GROTTO
In 1856, Alderman Thomas Herbery built a summerhouse or grotto in the Ropewalk Caves. The caves were explored by the Hidden History team. Inscriptions have been found on walls.