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© Courtesy of Nottingham City Council Leisure and Community Services, Local Studies Library. |
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Going underground: City of Caves |
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The peculiar characteristics of these caves made them attractive to craftsmen and traders. Blacksmiths on Bridlesmith Gate used them as workshops, whilst Fishmongers on Fisher Gate and Butchers on Goose Gate utilised them as storage. One of the finest surviving examples is a medieval underground tannery, the only one of its kind in Britain.
© Courtesy of Nottingham City Council Leisure and Community Services, Local Studies Library.
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Caves were particularly popular with Maltsters, malting being the process of turning barley into malt, which was one of the city's principle occupations from the 13th Century. The consistent temperature of the caves gave them an advantage over their competitors in other cities in that they were able to work all year round.
"In some of these subterranean malt rooms, they used to make malt as kindly in the heat of the summer as above grounds in the best time of the winter".
Dr Deering, History of Nottingham, 1751
The temperature is also ideal for the storage and brewing of ale. Nottingham became renowned for its brewing and most public houses used caves to store their ale, a tradition which remains today.
Some of the caves are now open to the public and are popular local attractions. The largest of these can be found at the City of Caves beneath the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre and also at Nottingham Castle and The Galleries of Justice in the Lace Market.
Words: Paul Baker
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