Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem team
[Nottingham history]
- [Brewhouse Yard]
- caves
- Mortimer
- lace
- Nottingham castle
- Robin Hood
- Third Crusade
Brewhouse Yard
 |
Brewhouse Yard c. 1920 |
a brief history of the site
There have been buildings on the two-acre site known as Brewhouse
Yard at least since 1217, when it is first mentioned in royal
papers from the reign of Henry III. This mention refers to repairs
to mills, which indicates, first, royal ownership and, second,
that water from the River Leen -- which, in a considerable feat
of engineering for the time, was diverted at Lenton to provide
water for both town and castle -- was used for transport and to
produce energy.
Over the centuries, there were many other references to the area, mainly regarding the shops and the nature of employment of the people living there, who at one time numbered in excess of 120. Among those residing in Brewhouse Yard were brewing workers -- brewing was carried out largely on a local scale and was located at the lower gate of Mortimer's Hole -- as well as framework knitters, tailors, clockworkers, shearmen and dyers. However, dyeing appears to have died out from about 1865.
James I created the area as a discrete constabulary in 1611, having separated it from the castle holdings. This makes Brewhouse Yard interesting for historians, as they can isolate what happened there and its main uses. The site remained outside parish and borough civil law until late in 1877, when the Extension Act amalgamated it - along with the park, Standard Hill and the castle - with the borough of Nottingham.
The first use of Brewhouse as a place name occurred in 1624, when a burial register referred to this area as 'Brewhouse under ye Castle'. The names of a variety of public houses are associated with the yard, but they may not have remained in the same place and some might not even have actually been there. These names include: One Pilgrim, possibly on the site of present Gate Hangs Well; The Jerusalem Alehouse in Brewhouse Yard, The Gibraltar of Brewhouse Yard, or The Straight of Gibraltar, which may have been on Barker Gate; The Junk Ship, dating from 1787, the sign of which resides in the Brewhouse Museum; The Sign Hangs Well; and The Bottle and Glass. Some of these could have been on the site of the present Trip to Jerusalem, but nothing is entirely clear.
The City Council Museums Service purchased the site, along with the Waterworks building, in 1972.
the museum
The Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard consists of a
group of cottages and several caves hewn out of the porous sandstone.
Most of the caves are man-made and were originally used for trades
and storage. Few of them became dwellings, although during excavations,
the remains of pots and implements were unearthed, along with
other, less sanitary objects. During World War II, some of the
caves were employed as air raid shelters.
Mortimer's Hole, a tunnel that connects the outside of the museum to the castle, is thought to have been instrumental in the capture of Roger Mortimer by Edward III.
Rock Cottage
Situated high in the Castle Rock, this houses a Victorian schoolroom,
with desks and chairs dating from the 1920s, and a second-hand
toyshop. The Education and Outreach section of the Museums Service
arranges for workers to come and re-enact scenes from Victorian
schooldays. Classes are invited to see what schools were like
in the late 19th century, and children can write on slates and
experience the discipline of Victorian schoolmasters.
The toyshop has many objects dating from early Victorian times to World War II. Some are readily recognisable, while others are perhaps not so familiar. Notable toys include a wooden rocking horse, an iron tricycle and a pair of pond skates. There are also many wooden and lead toys.
the old shopping precinct
On the first floor of the museum is an entire shopping precinct
of the 1920s. Included are a large and comprehensive pharmacy,
a doctor's surgery, a barber's shop, a fully fitted hairdresser's,
a pawnbroker, an ironmonger, a music shop and an antiques shop.
Standing on its own is a grocer's shop containing a great number
of items, some of which are still familiar today. The boot and
shoe shop incorporates a saddler's workshop that also sells bits
for horses' bridles. There is a soundtrack of what the general
hubbub of Nottingham would have been like without cars, buses
and sundry alarms!
exhibitions
One room in the museum contains all manner of games as well as
showcases with items relating to World War II. A 'kaleidoscope
gallery' houses 'feely boxes', so that you can touch items to
appreciate the quality and nature of the material used. These
relate to special events in the lives of Nottingham people past
and present. Further along, a community showcase houses temporary
exhibitions put on by members of the public in consultation with
the keeper of social history. If you would like to book the showcase,
please ring the keeper, Suella Postles, on 0115 915 3602 for further
information.
Moving on, there are several rooms that show living conditions in the 1880s and early 1900s; you can look around a child's bedroom, a parlour and a kitchen. There is also a 17th-century kitchen. Because the lighting is subdued, everything looks dingy, but this is how it would have been during the Victorian era, when rooms were lit by inefficient gas lights. Poor eyesight must have been quite a problem!
On the ground floor, there is a fully fitted World War II air raid shelter, complete with a soundtrack of the sounds of 1939-1945. The atmosphere is dusty and dark -- just as it was during the Blitz!
the museum shop
As visitors return to the present, there is a museum shop offering
toys, stationery, models, sweets (historically related and otherwise)
and many souvenirs, quite a few of which are priced at less than
£1, well within the range of a child's pocket money. Also on sale
are books and postcards that tell the history of Nottingham in
all its aspects.
the gardens
The open land around the museum buildings has been landscaped
with native British trees and plants from cottage gardens. Many
have local significance, including: Crocus nudiflorus, the Trent meadow crocus; Silene nutants, the Nottingham catchfly plant; and Asarina procumbens, the Broad Marsh plant. Culinary and medicinal herbs are grown
in front of the museum, complete with detailed labels telling
you what each plant was used for. The cottage garden contains
historic roses dating from the 6th century, as well as one that
won prizes at the local St Ann's Rose Show in 1855. A herbaceous
border has been formed from plants transplanted from Strelley
Hall.
general information
The museum and grounds are open daily -- except for Christmas
and Boxing Day -- from 10am to 5pm; however, from November to
February, the museum is closed on Friday mornings. All parties
are requested to book in advance, by ringing the museum on 0115
915 3600.
Admission is free Monday to Friday. There is a small charge at other times.
Disabled access is limited, except for the ground floor and shop. There is a unisex toilet in the grounds for wheelchair users on the National Key System. A wheelchair is available on request in the museum, there are seats throughout the building and all stairs have handrails. A leaflet for disabled visitors is available on request.
Prams and pushchairs are not allowed in the museum; there is a pushchair park that is visible to the attendants. Food and drink should not be taken into the museum. With the exception of guide dogs, dogs are not permitted in either the museum or the grounds.
