Nottingham is home to some of Britain’s most haunted buildings.
I spent an autumnal weekend in the East Midlands city to get a feel for its dark-tourism heritage on a Halloween assignment for the Daily Mail travel section.
My feature was published at the weekend and here’s a taster:
The whole city, first founded by the Anglo-Saxons, is built on a sandstone bedrock, leaving a labyrinthine system of 800 man-made caves deep under the modern cityscape.
Folk tales of use as makeshift prisons and torture chambers lurk in the darkest corners.
“Rebellious Nottingham has lots of dark stories,” says tourist guide Keri Usherwood.
“From Robin Hood to the Lace Market Luddites of the 19thcentury textile trade, these stories help us make sense of our place in the world today.”
But the spookiest place in Nottingham is an ancient pub with a dark history.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem dates from 1189 and is said to be the oldest pub in England. It was a staging point for medieval pilgrims seeking refreshment and built into the castle cliff face.
Taking a seat in the upstairs Rock Lounge with pint of Olde Trip best bitter, I’m joined by landlord Karl Gibson, who has experienced regular paranormal activity since taking over in 2012.
“I’ve come to respect the history of both the pub and the city,” says Karl. “When I’m here alone, I feel these walls are telling me something.”
Read the full story via Daily Mail travel, Discovering the haunted joys of Nottingham.
More information Visit Nottinghamshire www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk.
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While the focus was on Eurovision this week, a little bit of history was made on another part of Merseyside.