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The Trip To Jerusalem

The Trip to Jerusalem sits at the bottom of Castle Rock in Nottingham. The inn was established in 1189, the year that Richard the First (the Lionheart) came to the throne. Richard was immediately keen to leave for the Crusades in the Holy Land, and men that answered his call for help gathered at the Castle Rock, one of Richard's favoured strongholds. These knights and men at arms would often seek accommodation and refreshment at the inn,which became known as the Trip to Jerusalem. In Middle English the word "trip" referred to a resting place rather than a journey. It's a nice irony that the place of rest should also be named after what is now a journey.

In 1330 the Trip to Jerusalem was the setting for one of the dramatic twists in the tortuous history of England's monarchs. Visitors to the castle above the inn can take a tour of a passage that leads down to tunnels that run through the Castle Rock. This is where Edward the Third entered the castle from the inn to arrest Roger Mortimer his mother's lover. Mortimer and Queen Isabella had murdered Edward's father, Edward the Second, and were succeeding in establishing themselves as corrupt rulers of the country. Mortimer was captured in the royal apartments of the castle, and was subsequently hanged at Tyburn. Since that time the passage taken by Edward to carry out the arrest has been known as Mortimer's Hole.

Directions: Take the A6005 into Nottingham. There is a multistorey carpark in Castle Road which is just off the A6005 next to the castle. Walk down Castle Road and bear right. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Trip To Jerusalem.

Contact: 0115 947 3171