Articles from the Thoroton Society Newsletter
Nottingham beneath our feet: charting a city of caves
By Scott Lomax, Nottingham City Archaeologist (Scott.lomax@nottinghamcity.gov.uk)
In April 2025, it was confirmed that Nottingham is now home to 924 recorded caves - a dramatic rise from the 425 previously known when I began systematically documenting the city’s cave heritage in 2009. Even as recently as late 2024, the figure quoted was 870, showing just how much progress has been made in a short time.
The original figure of 425 came from the British Geological Survey’s Register of Nottingham’s Caves, which relied on various sources including a Nottingham City Council card index from the 1970s and 1980s. My review of the data revealed that some of entries in the BGS Register were not caves at all, but instead brick- built basements or concrete air raid shelters. However, I have identified hundreds of genuine caves, helping Nottingham lay claim to the title of the European City of Caves. International media outlets have picked up on this story, with recent coverage in Hungary, Italy, Poland, Greece, Indonesia, and beyond, demonstrating the international interest in Nottingham’s subterranean world.
Within a year of initiating my work, the number of known caves had risen to 543, with additions largely from archaeological fieldwork missed in the 2004 update, as well as caves reported by owners. A caves project by Trent & Peak Archaeology (now York Archaeology) contributed one discovery, but the number remained static at 544 until I returned to Nottingham City Council in 2016.
Prior to 2019, there was no Caves Policy in place to protect caves discovered during development, especially outside the City Centre. This led to avoidable losses, such as three caves destroyed in Radford during residential development in 2012. From 2016 onward, identifying known and likely cave locations became a priority for me in my role as Acting City Archaeologist. My efforts included direct appeals in the media and writing to owners of properties in The Park and along major roads such as Derby Road and Ilkeston Road. Around 30 caves were identified as a result. In many cases, residents were unaware of a cave beneath their property - often concealed behind plasterboard or beneath modern flooring.
Since 2016, new caves have come to light through archaeological fieldwork (three discoveries), sinkholes (two discoveries), geotechnical investigations and renovations where works in a basement have uncovered steps leading down into a cave cellar. However, hundreds have been identified through my research. Over 4000 documents have been examined, particularly auction records from the late 18th to early 20th centuries that reference caves. In some cases, this has even enabled me to date a cave to the exact month of its creation. There are still approximately 300 documents which refer to a cave for which I am struggling to identify the precise location, because the records relate to a business on a street rather than the specific address, but I am hopeful that some of these can be identified by consulting other sources such as trade’s directories. So, I am confident that the figure of 924 caves will rise further, and I am also confident it will, in time, exceed one thousand known caves representing 1000 years of the City’s history.
Many of these caves likely still exist, even if unrecognised. Some are beneath still-standing properties; others lie under redeveloped sites, probably filled with brick rubble but not destroyed. Some caves long thought lost - such as those beneath Broadmarsh and Maid Marian Way - have been rediscovered in excellent condition. Filling caves with concrete was, fortunately, a very modern and very rare occurrence and most caves thought to have been destroyed appear to still survive.
Knowing where caves are located is critical to protecting them during redevelopment. My aim is not simply to count them, but to ensure they are preserved, appreciated, and where appropriate, reopened to the public. Nottingham’s caves are vital heritage assets. They offer rare archaeological insights into domestic, industrial, religious, and defensive uses over the centuries, and compensate for the City’s relative lack of surviving buildings of pre-19th century date.
While locating caves has been the main goal, understanding their usage has also been important, with new light shed upon further uses of the caves. Some were dairies, some were used for ice cream storage, and many were utilised for Victorian experiments which tested what impact light deprivation had on the development of tadpoles! If you know of a cave which you think the City Council may not be aware of or have any information about the history of a cave, I would be very pleased to hear from you.
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