Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham
is one of the 20 public house
s (including Ye Olde Salutation Inn
and The Bell Inn
also in Nottingham, and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks
in St Albans
(acclaimed in the Guinness Book of Records)) which claim to be the oldest drinking establishment in England
. Its painted sign states that it was established in 1189 AD. However, there is no documentation to verify this date, and the main building, built on the foundations of earlier constructions, is about three hundred years old.
The Trip (as it is known locally) is at the foot of Castle Rock in Nottingham's City Centre
. According to local legend it takes its name from the 12th Century Crusades
to the Holy Land
: legend has it that knights who answered the calls of Richard I
to join the crusades stopped off at this watering hole for a pint
on their way to Jerusalem. It is even claimed that Richard himself frequented the pub although this is probably merely legend as the king spent little time in the country. However, the word "trip" in the pub's name does not mean an entire journey; it derives from an older meaning of the word: a stop during a journey (ie "break in the journey to the Holy Land"). Others say that the pub takes its name from a religious group called the Philadelphians
who used to meet in Brewhouse Yard (but this does not fully explain the name).
rock (beneath the castle) against which the building is set. The larger "ground level" caverns are now used as the pub's rear drinking rooms. There is also a network of caves beneath the building, originally used as a brewery
. They seem to date from around the time of the construction of the castle (1068 AD).
The cursed galleon is a small wooden model of a ship in one bar. It's claimed that people who have cleaned it have all met a mysterious death. Landlords have refused to allow anyone to dust the ship over the years, allowing inches of thick grime to build up on it. The galleon is now encased in glass — previously, large clumps of dust would fall off into unsuspecting drinkers' pints.
The Trip also contains an antique chair; it is claimed that a woman who sits in the chair will increase her chances of becoming pregnant.
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
is one of the 20 public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s (including Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn is a public house dating from around 1240 that lays claim to being the oldest in Nottingham.-History:...
and The Bell Inn
The Bell Inn
The Bell Inn is a Grade II listed public house dating from around 1437 that lays claim to being the oldest in Nottingham.-Foundation and early history:...
also in Nottingham, and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks is a public house in St Albans, Hertfordshire, which is one of several that lay claim to being the oldest in England. It currently holds the official Guinness Book of Records title, but Ye Olde Man & Scythe in Bolton, Greater Manchester has claimed it is older by some 234 years...
in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
(acclaimed in the Guinness Book of Records)) which claim to be the oldest drinking establishment in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its painted sign states that it was established in 1189 AD. However, there is no documentation to verify this date, and the main building, built on the foundations of earlier constructions, is about three hundred years old.
The Trip (as it is known locally) is at the foot of Castle Rock in Nottingham's City Centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
. According to local legend it takes its name from the 12th Century Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
: legend has it that knights who answered the calls of Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
to join the crusades stopped off at this watering hole for a pint
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
on their way to Jerusalem. It is even claimed that Richard himself frequented the pub although this is probably merely legend as the king spent little time in the country. However, the word "trip" in the pub's name does not mean an entire journey; it derives from an older meaning of the word: a stop during a journey (ie "break in the journey to the Holy Land"). Others say that the pub takes its name from a religious group called the Philadelphians
Philadelphians
The Philadelphians, or the Philadelphian Society, were a Protestant 17th century religious group in England. They were organized around John Pordage , an Anglican priest from Bradfield, Berkshire, who had been ejected from his parish in 1655 because of differing views, but then reinstated in 1660...
who used to meet in Brewhouse Yard (but this does not fully explain the name).
Notable features
The pub is famous for its caves, carved out of the soft sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rock (beneath the castle) against which the building is set. The larger "ground level" caverns are now used as the pub's rear drinking rooms. There is also a network of caves beneath the building, originally used as a brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
. They seem to date from around the time of the construction of the castle (1068 AD).
The cursed galleon is a small wooden model of a ship in one bar. It's claimed that people who have cleaned it have all met a mysterious death. Landlords have refused to allow anyone to dust the ship over the years, allowing inches of thick grime to build up on it. The galleon is now encased in glass — previously, large clumps of dust would fall off into unsuspecting drinkers' pints.
The Trip also contains an antique chair; it is claimed that a woman who sits in the chair will increase her chances of becoming pregnant.