800-year-old UK pub built on the side of a castle where you can drink in caves

A PUB in the UK that claims to be the oldest in the country is built into the side of a castle and has caves in which customers can drink.

Britain is home to some of the most historic pubs in the world and one that claims to be the oldest in the nation is steeped in history.

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The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham carries the slogan “the oldest inn in England” on its walls and boasts about first opening its doors in 1189.

The pub gets its name from when King Richard the Lionheart and his men “congregated here before embarking on the Crusades in Jerusalem” according to the Greene King website.

It was also reportedly a hideout for the legendary outlaw, Robin Hood.

The Trip, as it’s affectionately known by its locals, is built into the walls of Castle Rock in Nottingham, upon the city’s castle is built.

It is also attached to several caves, and has been described as “a cross between a pub and a museum” by Visit Nottingham.

Their website says: “The pub features several bars, cosy nooks and snug lounges filled with curiosities and relics of Nottingham’s history.

“You can enjoy a delicious pub meal everyday between 11am and 10pm in the Rock Bar, where you can warm up next to the fire in Yorkie’s Lounge, or enjoy the expansive garden area when the weather is pleasant.”

Underneath the pub, a network of caves tunnel deep into the sandstone cliff that the pub is built onto.

The caves have been used for storage of ale previously, although it also they were also part of the castle jail, which was said to have been housed in the cellars at one time.

This included the “condemned cell”, a small cell with a very low ceiling with small holes drilled to allow a small amount of air into.

Legend has it the jailer would have sat just outside the cells on a chair that was carved out of the rock, which can still be seen today.

It is also the home of “Mortimer’s Hole” which is a secret passageway Edward III’s army reportedly used to capture Sir Roger Mortimer after he and Queen Isabella overthrew Edward II.

It is believed that the oldest parts of the pub were built between 1650 and 1660, although a map shows a previous building in the same spot in 1610.

By 1751 the pub had the name The Pilgrim, before it was purchased by William Standford soon after. 

The first recorded use of the name Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem dates from 1799.

From more than 3,300 reviews on TripAdvisor, the Trip has a total score of 4.5/5.

One reviewer wrote: “What a venue! Where else in Nottingham can you bump into Robin Hood, enjoy some history and spook the kids with ghost stories all whilst having a great drink?!”

Another said: “What a great pub, full of history and really quirky. Great lunchtime meal, really lovely food with good prices. Definitely worth a visit.”

A third added: ” Very old part of the castle walls. Grade II listed. Also they have a game whereby you swing the rope and try and hook to the cave wall. Brilliant!”

The Trip isn’t the only pub in the UK to claim to be the oldest.

The Old Ferry Boat in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, The Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds and The George Hotel of Stamford among many to claim the title.

Meanwhile, this quaint English seaside pub was once named the best in the country.

And you can watch dolphins from a music festival at this UK destination.

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