Long before themed cocktails and ghost walks, Nottingham’s oldest inns were already steeped in siege, plague, poison… and whispered apparitions.
Beneath this East Midlands city lie more than 900 sandstone caves carved over a thousand years. Above them stand some of England’s most historic public houses — many of which make bold heritage claims stretching back centuries.
In this episode of The Wanderlust Way, we step inside Nottingham’s most atmospheric pubs to uncover the stories lingering in their stone walls. From crusaders drinking beneath the castle rock to Civil War conspiracies, arsenic poisonings, plague demolitions, Carmelite friars, Victorian lace makers and a haunted cellar doll meant to calm a restless spirit…
This isn’t just a pub crawl.
It’s a wander through centuries of Nottingham history — told over a few pints.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Haunted Historic Pubs of Nottingham – Intro
01:39 History of Nottingham
03:20 Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem & the Crusaders
08:23 Ye Olde Salutation & the Civil War
15:18 The Bell Inn & the Plague
19:56 Pit & Pendulum – Edgar Allan Poe Vibes
24:09 The Angel Microbrewery – Music, Druids & Deaths in the Lace Market
27:38 The Morning After the Night Before
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💬 Your thoughts:
Have you visited any of these pubs?
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And have you ever experienced anything unexplained in an old pub?
📺 If you liked this, you might also enjoy:
The Haunted Pub Crawl: Ghosts, Ale & Legends playlist
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🎥 Produced independently for The Wanderlust Way – blending travel, history, folklore and true tales from Britain and beyond.
This video is for educational and entertainment purposes. Research has been carried out to the best of my ability — viewers are always encouraged to explore further if a story piques their curiosity.
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Why are ghost always the best for parties?
Because they always bring the Boo-ze!
Great video 👍🏻 my local is said to harbour some spirits also.. Jack, Gordon, Jim, Morgan and Glen.F just to name a few..
❤
Hi Claire, yet another brilliant video, we're loving the content, thank you.re haunted pubs, have you tried sheffield? The old Queens head in pond street is said to be very haunted, as is the ship inn on shales moor. X
The Entrance to the caves used to be in the now demolished Broadmarsh Centre.
I haven't lived in Nottingham that long, thanks for the history lesson when I go to pub will be on my guard😅 from new sub 😊
What lies beneath ?
Hi Claire, great wander through the pubs and inns of Notingham. The Pit and the Pendulum is on my list of Wanderlust places to visit. Spooky 👻
I do remember when there was a pub near the bus station and a murder took place, so it makes me wonder if a ghost is within.
I just wanted to say I love watching your video's, you're lovely 😊
Nice pub crawl mate thanks for inviting, think I've been to most if not all of these back in the day
Nice hair! That color suits you perfectly 😊
People might find this hard to believe but I swear it's absolutely true. I have been doing EVP experiments for a time long and I know it's real but very few understand it. It was mentioned that there is a spirit of a little girl in the trip and more besides. Years ago I joined a team of paranormal investigators in the trip and I did an evp experiment alone in the snug bar at 3am I started recording and I said hello what is your name and I captured a voice of a little girl nervously saying hello and quite clearly and also I captured "he's dangerous" and we are happy" I believe they believed I was there to exorcize them
I haven't done a pub crawl since the mid 90s. Nottingham is a nice place to visit. I used to go to Rock City which was fun but really not good if you want the toilet 🤣 It's good to see that Nottingham pubs are bringing in the crowds. But so many have declined and more will follow. My home town local for over 25 years closed 5 years ago. There is another pub I go in now and then. But not quite the same atmosphere.
I've spent many a happy time in "The Trip", "The Sal" and the "Bell", although I haven't lived in Nottingham since 1982, I have visited.
A haunted themed pub crawl looks very fun and the stories are good 🙂
What I’m getting from this is Nottingham is brilliant for rock bars!
There's ghosts and apparitions going back centuries in Lincoln if you fancy a trip up to my part of the country?
You're great when tipsy lol! Well done for holding the storytelling together. I would've been down to two word sentences! 👌😂❤️
If anyone's worried, Nottingham is still a place of murder.
Also, my daughter works at the Salutation Inn. Mega haunted! You should ask about the medieval sword they found in the caves.
I hope you come to Hull to do a haunted pub tour, we have more than our fair share especially in the old town part of the city 👻👻
I'm sure we'd all love to go on a pub crawl (haunted or not!) with you Claire…you're good fun!
Yet another place I must visit. As for pub crawls, my friend Dave and I did one in his home town of Naugatuck, CT. Due to the sheer number of bars in town, we didn't finish. Sure felt like shite the next morning!
I can't believe it was called Snottingham originally. No wonder the S was taken off. There is another ghost in the Salutation Inn and that is one of a pirate who drowned after he fell into the well while hiding in the cave. Looking at the the plaque outside the Bell Inn about Byron, i was wondering if this was before or after he met Mary Shelley? The Pit and Pendulum pub does have it's own resident ghosts. Shadowy figures have been spotted in the downstairs seating area, whispered voices have been heard in the men's bathroom and the staff have been prodded by invisible fingers. They do look such wonderful pubs- so there's 2 types of spirits, some seen and obviously some drunk. I have read some very good reports about the Pit & pendulum despite it's Gothic atmosphere. It's the sort of pubs i would like to visit. Yet again a brilliant video. I really enjoy looking forward to Sundays- best day of the week. Can't wait for the next one Claire. You obviously enjoyed yourself with your drinks. While visiting the pubs-knowing they are haunted, did you pick up any vibes? I would love to know
Worth visiting spend a night at Marsden Grotto in South Shields is widely considered one of the UK’s most haunted pubs, famous for its 18th-century smuggler history, deep limestone caves, and numerous reported paranormal incidents. Key hauntings include the ghost of murdered smuggler "John the Jibber" strange, unwashable footprints on the bar floor, and loud, unexplained knocking from the cellars. 👻
Claire, you never fail to put up an interesting video. Your research is always good, and filming adds to the plot
Pit and pendulum
That was a horror film in 1961. It might be worth checking it out
"At the time the advertising ane with the clause, the first person that died of fright the relatives would receive £10.000 I can quote that fact from memory but not via the Internet
Across the pond from you guys. You hardly ever hear of a haunting pub or bar being haunted. Now yes we have a few. But not like you guys. Great video and lots of great history
I love what you do, fascinating story’s of the past. Im a Yorkshire born lass, from Richmond, my family on my grandads side were farmers around Hurworth/ Darlington, I live in Dorset now but would love to see something on Hurworth, it has some interesting history I believe.
Not been to Nottingham for year's, last time was when we went for a day out, my lad was only young at the time.
I used to go a lot when I was younger, as my grandparents lived there. My grandad used to tell me about the history and legends of Robin Hood etc.
Need to get back there now the castle has opened again.
Really enjoyed this. Noted down the pubs for when we visit 😊
How about our city of Sheffield? We have quite a few haunted pubs 👻
Great video as always, Nottingham is an absolutely fascinating place to visit.
I tried to stay up I just couldn't. I'm watching it now great show
Great video Claire. I can imaging being a bit desperate trying to find a way through the bookcase.
I remember as a teenager taking the dog for a walk across the meadows at night and hearing a horse gallop past me, seemingly it passed very close but I didn't see a thing. On another occasion when the wife and I were returning from friends at around 2am we both saw a child standing in the middle of the road that vanished just before we reached the spot. This was a quiet B road about three miles out of the nearest village. We had a fairly good look at him and I would think that he was aged somewhere between ten and twelve. Probably should have informed the police but what could we say? Things like this are not easily forgotten or explained.
How about a haunted pubs of London or Oxford? Glad you looked okay the morning after 🙂
Great video!! I'd love to down a glass in any of those establishments! There's a lot of Poe stories that would make great pub names: The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Rue Morgue, The House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Mask Of The Red Death. The Premature Burial, The Raven, and the Annabelle Lee, to name just a few…
Great show Claire been the trip to Jerusalem many times paul from stoke-on-trent ❤
Glad you enjoyed my home towns pubs such great history! Keep the videos coming as very enjoyable 👍🍻
Shout out from Driffield, East Yorkshire! Not sure how haunted it is though lol
Great vlog Claire, I've sunk many a pint in The Old Trip To Jerusalem and The Sal in years gone by, indeed there is a certain atmosphere in those places but much prefer them to any Wetherspoons or modern pubs of today. Never came across The Pit and The Pendulum though, that looks a fun place. Are you local to Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire? In Lincoln there is Stokes restaurant and coffee shop, it is very old and has a certain ambience about it, the upper floor to the Gents toilets is quite eerie.
Absolutely brilliant & well researched video! You definitely look like you enjoyed making it too ☺️ May I suggest doing a video in Lichfield .. so much history & a very beautiful city.
Just fantastic
Nice one Claire,
Over 29K Congratulations,
Hyped and liked veey enjoyable as always thanks from marshchapel
James from Arizona here
Always an amazing journey. When you eventually pop on TV I'm going to point at the screen and tell people "I knew her online! We used to chat on her YouTube channel!"
Very interesting
Hi Clare, check out the Blue Boar in Maldon Essex. Built in 1400s many ghost stories.
Rob
Hi Claire nice to see you on the pub crawl although if you had been with a party of girls Party Animal comes to mine.I don’t believe ghosts I believe in demons the ones in the pubs house etc will move stuff around rock a chair but really they don’t want you their it’s there house and you are wandering about ,but they will put up with you. But anybody in the occult there are other demons these people at this moment are making a mess of the world. Nice video look forward to the next I think Claire you are a bit of an Enigma nobody knows what you will do next❤