Rarely seen caves underneath Nottingham city centre are set to open to the public as part of the Being Human Festival. The festival will run from Thursday, November 10 until Saturday, November 19.
The festival celebrates Nottingham's unique heritage and famous collection of hidden caves with free exhibitions, tours and talks. The event will examine the hundreds of caves that exist underneath the city including access to a rare tour of a cave system at Wollaton Hall.
Visitors will learn how the caves were created, what they have been used for throughout history and what they reveal about life in Nottingham throughout the decades. There will also be a free 'City of Caves' tour at the National Justice Museum along with interactive exhibitions at Nottingham Contemporary and family-friendly activities at the Nottingham University Museum of Archaeology.
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There will be a special festival launch event entitled, 'What Lies Beneath' at Nottingham Contemporary on Friday, November 11th which will include an interactive showcase that explores the latest collaborative work on the cave sites. Visitors can participate in virtual reality experiences from explorations of fictional caves to heritage-orientated documentary-style immersive experiences within real caves.
There are thought to be around 800 caves underneath Nottingham city centre with many dating back to the medieval period. They have had many uses throughout history including being used as air raid shelters, wine and ale cellars and accommodation.
The caves at Wollaton Hall also housed an underground plunge pool. The largest cave was discovered under the John Player tobacco factory at the edge of the city and was thought to be able to house 8,000 people.
The festival, which is organised by the University of Nottingham is in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. Art fans will be able to see Nottingham Contemporary's latest exhibition on the theme of caves, Hollow Earth, followed by talks from researchers who are leading the City of Caves project.
Dr Anna Walas, AHRC Nottingham Caves Community Archaeology Liaison Officer,said: “The Being Human festival champions cutting-edge humanities research and it is an excellent opportunity to share fascinating research with our local communities and celebrate our city and its heritage.
“All of the events are completely free. You can join tours led by subject specialists and heritage professionals, experience caves and poetry in virtual reality, get up close to genuine archaeological finds from the caves, join local history and archaeology associations and share your memories of the caves as part of a forthcoming oral history project.”
Dr Christopher King, Associate Professor in Historical Archaeology at the University of Nottingham, is the project lead: “Nottingham’s caves are a unique part of the city’s heritage – no other British city has this underground world beneath its streets and buildings. They reveal so many stories attached to key moments in the city’s history, and our research is trying to bring these stories to life – from medieval brewers to Luddite rebels and WWII air raid wardens."
"We’re really pleased that the Being Human festival gives us an opportunity to share our findings and give people exciting new ways of engaging with the city’s hidden heritage.”
The full programme of events is available on the Being Human website and all events are free but visitors must book tickets in advance.
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