Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem: England’s Most Haunted Pub

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem claims to be England’s oldest inn, dating from 1189 when Crusaders allegedly stopped here on their way to the Holy Land. Built into the sandstone caves beneath Nottingham Castle, it is undeniably ancient and undeniably haunted. Staff and patrons have reported countless supernatural encounters in its dark, rock-carved rooms.

The History

Crusader Legend

The inn allegedly takes its name from Crusaders who stopped here before joining Richard I on the Third Crusade. “Trip” meant a resting place for a journey.

Cave Dwelling

The pub is partly carved into the sandstone cliffs, connecting to a network of caves that honeycomb Nottingham’s castle rock. Some caves were used for brewing, some for more mysterious purposes.

The Haunted Gallery

One upstairs room houses a dusty galleon model in a glass case. Legend says anyone who cleans the ship dies within days. The last person to clean it died shortly after, and no one has touched it since.

The Hauntings

The Cursed Ship

The model galleon is the pub’s most notorious feature:

• It has not been cleaned for decades
• Those who clean it reportedly die
• Photographs of it often show anomalies
• The case feels wrong to touch
• Staff refuse to go near it

The Cave Ghosts

The caves are intensely haunted:

• Monks have been seen (caves may have served an earlier priory)
• Figures in medieval dress
• Orbs and mists in photographs
• Extreme cold spots
• Visitors report feeling trapped or panicked

The Crusader

A man in chain mail has been seen:

• Sitting in the rock-carved rooms
• Drinking from an invisible cup
• He wears a crusader’s cross
• A tired, weary presence
• Perhaps a knight who never returned from Jerusalem

The Children

Child spirits have been reported:

• Playing in the caves
• Laughter and running feet
• They appear and vanish quickly
• May be connected to historical use of the caves

The Woman in White

A female ghost in white appears:

• In the upstairs rooms
• Sometimes in the caves
• Her identity is unknown
• She seems to be searching for someone

The Poltergeist Activity

Objects move at the Trip:

• Glasses slide across bars
• Items fall from shelves
• Doors bang shut
• Footsteps cross empty floors
• Staff have witnessed objects thrown

Modern Activity

The Trip embraces its reputation:

• Ghost tours are regularly offered
• Paranormal investigations document activity
• Staff have decades of stories
• The galleon remains untouched
• Visitors frequently experience phenomena

Visiting

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is a working pub open to all. Its cave rooms and claimed medieval heritage make it a Nottingham landmark.

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Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem has served ale for centuries, to living and dead alike. The Crusaders who stopped here on their way to the Holy Land may never have returned—but their spirits found their way back to this ancient cave.