I took a tour of Nottingham's forgotten underground city

There's a whole other world beneath the surface of Nottingham

It’s not hard to fill your time in Nottingham.

It’s remarkable how quickly a day can whizz by when you’re exploring the city’s many attractions.

From the castle to Nottingham Contemporary, there is something to suit every taste in our bustling city.

But did you know there’s a whole world waiting to be explored below the ground too?

Read more: Your Nottingham

We swapped daylight for darkness and explored Nottingham’s forgotten subterranean city, which even goes by an entirely different name.

Hidden away beneath Nottingham Contemporary stands a colourful entrance to the City of Caves experience.

In fact, it’s so well camouflaged that you’d be forgiven for walking straight past it (or over it), if you weren’t on the lookout.

During WW2 the caves were used as air raid shelters

Up and around a series of ramps, you make your way into the entrance foyer to the city of caves.

On first impression, it’s somewhat unassuming. Appearing as nothing more than a small gift shop selling novelty gemstones and Robin Hood bears.

But as soon as you make your way through the doors and down into the dimly lit caves, it becomes a whole other experience.

We were guided around Nottingham’s forgotten subterranean city, known as Tigguo Cobauc (please don’t make me say it).

The geology of the sandstone caves is as fascinating as their uses

Founded by a monk, many thousands of years ago, the name translates to: ‘A Place of Cave Dwellings’.

The tour took us on a time warp spanning thousands of years, through wars, plagues, and even the modern day.

It was truly fascinating to witness how the caves have been used over the years as medieval tanneries, WW2 air raid shelters, and speakeasy-style pubs.

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I think it is a huge flex that Nottingham has such an interesting history both above and below the ground. And this tour really celebrates our city’s triumphant heritage.

The tour itself is easily walkable (don’t wear white trainers) and lasts for about 45 minutes with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide.

At one point there were just three communal toilets in Nottingham - and this is what they would have looked like

After that, you’re left to explore the remaining part of the caves by yourself, but don’t worry there are plenty of useful information boards to tell you what you’re looking at!

I don’t want to go into too much detail about the tour itself because I really think you should go and do it.

It is a brilliant way to see Nottingham in a different light (quite literally) and educate yourself about the often less shouted-about parts of the city’s history.

The caves have had various uses over the years

I’d consider it to be brilliant value for money and it goes right up there on my recommended list of things to do on a day out in Nottingham.

You can buy tickets at the door or online by clicking here.

Loving note from the Editor: I suffer from claustrophobia and didn’t have any issues here.

City of Caves: I took a guided tour of Nottingham's forgotten underground city