Local Historian Uncovers Forgotten Medieval Stairs in Nottingham!

[@cmdfarsight]

Well done to Janine and folk like her for getting this looking lovely. If it was up to the developers and the council (and rumours of money going between the two if you know what I mean) we'd lose all these old features and buildings.

[@deadpanbarry5442]

Never thought I'd watch an upload about stairs and be interested.... The joys of the Internet.... Well done to all.😊👍👌

[@amc5966]

What an incredible woman Janine is. Every town needs someone with such drive and commitment to local history. Chapeau Janine.

[@MrStephen777]

commitment to destroying the natural environment . great give her a medal for services agisnst wildlife..

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

That lady has been visibly affected by her love of her city and hard work over many years to keep all those plates spinning. A great fountain of information, she's a star.

[@janinetanner2922]

Amazing stuff Chris!! Off to share the video to my groups now! 😀

[@next0845]

Open up the cave and put a coffee shop in there. All profits could go to the restoration of the lower steps

[@sureshot8399]

Kudos to those who spent their time and energy restoring the stairs. It may not be Westminster Abbey, but little innocuous parts of British history are worth preserving too as once they are gone we'll miss them.

[@toi_techno]

Well done to Janine and her crew

[@rythemzlatin]

• 3-layers of brick is a very common method , done for the sake of structural integrity , not for "super security" of something valuable. • Do any old photos show the actual location of the cobbler's doorway. A preliminary inspection @ window height there could be made with a camera(s) on a longpole ( the small size of such an opening being less risky for a collapse if the area inside has experienced shifting over time ) .

[@thatcouncilestatekid1832]

Lovely to see people passionate about local history 👍🏻

[@teptime]

So happy to see these people taking part in the preservation of their rich local history. Much love from the States.

[@chillintheuk]

Thanks @teptime 😊 I hope i can visit the US someday 🙏

[@neilbain8736]

I had many happy years in Notts exploring the caves and the pubs. There's a good few pubs have caves, which were ideal for brewing and storing beer. I was fascinated by the old Drury Hill which was a steeply inclined medieval street that was cruelly flattened in the 60's and whose remains is now under the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre. There's a lot of railway history too. I used to cycle up the River Leen to work in Bulwell, which is a lot prettier than the end in the video But I had no idea about Long Stairs. I would have actively sought them out if I'd known.

[@lat1419]

Many memories of my mis-spent youth in caves in pubs in Nottingham!

[@jerryoliver5181]

Thank you Janine! You found and saved a bit of History for future generations. Well done you!

[@chillintheuk]

Glad you enjoyed the video Jerry! I'm glad I could make this video with Janine to highlight the great work she is doing and the positive comments has encouraged her to start her own youtube channel @timeteamtanner. Thanks for your support

[@davetdowell]

Don't open the cave, they didn't build three layers of bricks for nothing... the Dragon will escape.

[@chillintheuk]

🤣🤣 This is why I would like to be there for the opening lol who knows what is hidden back there!!

[@LordGertz]

So not true. They will find the body.

[@paulcrawley5687]

who says theres 3 layers of brick ? your talking about 1870

[@davetdowell]

@@paulcrawley5687 You have to watch the video for that, it's said in there.

[@hetrodoxlysonov-wh9oo]

There's the skeleton of a cobbler sitting at his bench with hammer in hand.

[@TomZak.]

This is really interesting! I wonder what they were hiding in that cave. Great video Chill and the production quality on this video is amazing! Keep up the good work.

[@Sandra-A]

Wow! The world needs more people like Janine. Full cudos to her 👏

[@chillintheuk]

Agreed, she just launched her youtube channel thanks to comments like this. Time Team Tanner 🥰

[@Annie-ex3ge]

It's a shame her book wasn't published. Admirable dedication!

[@neilthehermit4655]

Janine and the volunteers are legends. Long may you reign ! Edit : Restoring a Stairway to Heaven ! ( sorry I couldn't resist ).

[@trixieleigh7912]

It must be cool living in such a long inhabited place 😮 I'll prolly never make it across the big pond, but I so love this ❤

[@WAR-22]

Wow fantastic video first off. But well done Janine and all the volunteers. 👍👊

[@I.Live4oldcars.prospecting]

This is fantastic. I just stumbled across this video. Im in Australia and i love history. My mother is from London, she came to Australia in 1966 , im sure she will love this channel.

[@chillintheuk]

aww that is so sweet, thanks for commenting. I hope I can make more videos like this!

[@I.Live4oldcars.prospecting]

@@chillintheuk you're very welcome.

[@vickywitton1008]

How wonderful! I would love to see what is behind the wall!

[@wingwalker007]

We need an update video when it’s opened

[@Stayoutofthewater522]

It’s awesome that people like her have take the initiative to make it so those like us can actually be able to experience these types of things.

[@nickolasvanduyne3442]

Her dedication to preservation is admirable but it’s sad that without her unexpected efforts they would’ve eroded into obscurity.

[@diannehardwick950]

In the graffiti can you see the big boot on the left? I bet it’s a sign for the cobblers shop, probably painted as well. Great project.

[@kimbenson2920]

I love Nottingham. This little vid is a real gem and a fabulous nugget of local history. The Lace Market is one of my fave parts of Notts. I think it would be fantastic, once the works have been completed, to include this in history tours of the area. All success with the continuation of the project. Cheers. 🤓

[@chillintheuk]

thanks so much for this lovely comment Kim!

[@nobbybrown8056]

Does it not stand to reason these are the stairs for the public and historically significant so therefore should be opened up and used again? I am disabled and can never travel this route but I shed a metaphorical tear for it's lack of use and human hubbub!

[@ReapersBaby]

Yes they may possibly be opened up in the future, but for now they're not safe enough for the public to use which is why they spoke of restoration costs.

[@pashakdescilly7517]

@@ReapersBaby And also a wall to assure the privacy of local residents

[@jackieclark7460]

They can't be fully restored and reopened as there has been houses built at the bottom so the access is not available

[@heatherthompson9117]

The UK and the whole of England has so much history I would love to visit and see the museums and all the historical sites that's my bucket list❤

[@crazyasalways9272]

She should try to publish the book again I know I would be very interested 10:32

[@chillintheuk]

Trust me I am trying to convince her to publish the book. I think there is more chance of her writing a new one than digging out the one she wrote years ago though

[@crazyasalways9272]

@chillintheuk Even that would be wonderful but to have like local history done by a local person.I love those types of books.I'm from the us so most of the books like that are within a certain section and some of them can't really be left from library , but I have a collection of a whole bunch of different ones that cover the local area just because they wrote By locals who know the history who know the people that they are talking about and it's just one Of those things are absolutely amazing.It's kind of like those books That origin by someone who has experienced Cancer a d h d autism or other things like that or even events About those things because you get A more personalized look at what they are talking about And for. An example.A lot of books written Buy people from outside a community about a community Holds either biases or misconceptions that a local Would not have or be able to explain them

[@SteveMuncaster-ji9dw]

Brilliant job 👍well done . Will the caves opend

[@chillintheuk]

@SteveMuncaster-ji9dw with janines hard work over the last few months we are a bit closer now to getting at least a peek 🙏

[@robertphillips6296]

The Cave was either a Hideout for Robinhood and his Merrymen or a storage room for Doctor Who's Tardis.

[@TheSilmarillian]

Or an abandoned infinite improbability star drive maybe, then again probably not me thinks.

[@johncook3817]

Try drilling a hole first and putting a camera through first. Cheaper than demolishing the wall to start with!

[@alisonjackson-bass495]

I would have liked more history and context. When were the stairs built? Information on boundaries, who lived there, access etc. Images on old maps would have been good.

[@terryhayward7905]

I am sure that you could drill a small hole in the mortar and push a camera through to see what is behind the bricks.

[@orchy86]

Would be very cheap too

[@DemonAdventurous4286]

We need an update please

[@ellanutellabella]

Open it!!! Where's Time Team, tell them to get Geophys on it!❤

[@paulo6456]

Was it only me waiting to see the inside of the said cave!? Only seen two persons sitting on stairs chatting....

[@chillintheuk]

sorry for the clickbait, the good news is by watching this video you have helped get one step closer to opening the cave as all proceeds from this video is going to the project.

[@chillintheuk]

oh and it definitely wasnt just you, you're one of the nicer comments from people who expected that lol

[@paulo6456]

@@chillintheuk I can open it for free and with only one arm...!

[@gazeardley.the.wildman.]

Remnants of the Old World, Great content my friend....The deeper we research the more we find Hidden..I,m not suprised Her book was,nt published, The Truth is Hard to nail down..Great work...Respect from THE WILDARMY..

[@chillintheuk]

Thanks so much for this comment! I really needed to hear this today 🙏

[@brianroberts7096]

I spent 2 years clearing 100 years of silt from an ancient brewing cave under a pub in Sneinton, only 1/4 mile from that site. When we first opened the entrance in 2018, the City Archeologist visited but, despite many requests, has shown absolutely no interest in returning since it was cleared. Part of the brewing cave was closed off when a culvert was built in the street. The culvert dates to the draining of the marshes, and is much older than those steps. Unfortunately, the cave floods due to issues with the culvert. We used to run tours, but the flooding has worsened in recent years, making this difficult. I suspect this problem is due to pile driving on new development just downstream, because the Council "forgot" to mention the culvert to the developers. A freedom of information request was blocked because they refuse to allocate any staff hours to send the requested information. Sneinton is an Anglo Saxon settlement (maybe even older), and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The cave could easily be 1000 years old and, according to the city Archeologist is unique, even in Nottingham in that it has a corbelled arch roof and it's own well. It also has a complete, round turret, with hoist on the back of the building, where they lifted the full barrels. However, the City Archeologist isn't interested, and the City Council have refused point blank to investigate and assist with the flooding issues, despite my warnings of danger to life if the culvert, running under a very busy road, overpass and railway, collapses.

[@kaymarich831]

What is the name of the culvert and pub? The beck burn culvert runs under my street.

[@MrPlankinton]

The Cask of Amontillado, A short story by Edgar Allan Poe, immediately comes to mind

[@coreyshaw3701]

A triple bricked up wall that closed off a cave in a spot that's been there for at least 500 years known as Merlins Cave??? Yep, gotta get in there pronto.

[@paulbristow8485]

I cant wait to see inside the cave !!

[@vinnydoyle1909]

Fantastic, I love old Nottingham. Well done Janine

[@simongee8928]

Funny that when they first descended the steps, I was more interested in the wall on the left because it's so varied - ! 😅

[@chillintheuk]

I know I was amazed by the same thing, so fascinating and untouched for almost 100 years

[@fridayfriday3948]

That was such an interesting video! Janine Tanner is awesome for taking on this kind of important work, with such dedication. I have lived in Canada for the last 45 years, and really appreciate the history of the regular people who lived before us. All too often they are forgotten, only the wealthy men are remembered. Many thank yous for everyone who remember them, because they are the the backbone of real history.

[@Waynem.9363]

From the title of the video I thought we were going to see the cave opened up & what’s inside. The title is very disappointing & click bait. I’m glad this person preserved this history & would have watched without being annoyed that I was baited into watching a misleading video. Stop using click bait!

[@chillintheuk]

I can only apologise, this wasn't my intention. Since people have pointed this out I did try to make it less clickbaity and will try to avoid this in the future. Appreciate the feedback!

[@sarahguthrie9615]

Have yous got plans to open it up ?

[@ALehrer-s8f]

truly very incredible! appreciate you, thank you!

[@karenplater8491]

Council not bothered they won't give them funds our history in nottingham is being eroded all the time so so sad need to make more of our d places bring them back to life

[@Darkk6969]

Interesting that it's triple bricked. First layer would be to seal up the entrance. Then two layers would make up the facade we see today.

[@Russellbristow]

Wonderful item! Well presented and produced. I’ve worked in the media for many years and this in my view is a very professional piece to camera. Congratulations, and carry on with the good work.

[@chillintheuk]

Thank you for your comment Russell! It really means a lot to me hearing people enjoyed this video, but even more coming from someone who has worked in the media space. More will be coming soon, I have been taken down by a cough atm so hopefully when that clears up I will make more content like this. Thanks again! 🥰

[@craigmontgomery-o2i]

Awesome woman well done ✅❤❤

[@squeakieve]

It would be a better idea to just drill a hole into the brick and use a camera to see what's behind the wall befor any demolition is done.

[@chillintheuk]

That is the next stage of the plan to opening it up. First they plan to drill a hole and take a look inside to see whether it will be safe to open it up!

[@ShazzaUK70]

How long will it be before they are allowed to remove the bricks I wonder? What an amazing story. Good luck with it all. :-)

[@marqsee7948]

when they can afford to.

[@sarahguthrie9615]

I hope they open it up and see what they find and we get to see it all to

[@chillintheuk]

me too!!

[@_PJW_]

It would be nice if it could be restored to the full extend, and opened to the public. It's streets and narrows like this that characterize cities and towns. Unless cared for they will disappear quietly forever.

[@jackieclark7460]

They can't be fully restored and reopened as there is now housing built at the bottom so it would come down into someone's backyard

[@_PJW_]

@@jackieclark7460 What a pity. And what oversight and amateurism on part of the city.

[@gerryegan4872]

Really fascinating good luck with the cave reveal.

[@MrEvilWasp]

I think it's unfortunate that it's closed to the public. Even if the public were only allowed with supervision once a fortnight etc and for a donation it would be fine. What's the point of restoring something like this if it's only available to a very select few to enjoy.

[@chillintheuk]

I agree. I think Janine would consider taking people down in exchange for a donation. The more people to help keep the place free of debris and overgrowth the better 👌

[@quinnabun1173]

Absolutely wonderful lady!❤❤❤❤

[@LynneHarrison-gg5ix]

I love the brick work in the background.

[@toni5431]

If the caves are ever opened up and made habitable I think a lovely tiny "rooftop" terrace cafe would be perfect there. Tasteful iron railings to block off the drop and on top of the walls to make it safe. Small tables on the terrace outside would make it a lovely spot to sit and drink a cuppa and relax in the summer. If it was run on a non profit basis anything over running and supply costs could be used for maintenance and other restoration works.

[@chillintheuk]

that is a great idea and would be perfect for that space and like you suggested it could pay for any future work/maintenance!! ❤

[@deedaw9246]

Donation boxes in the local shops? Bake sales & yard sales. Maybe even donation boxes in nearby towns. Get on the local news periodically to give updates? See about getting the book you wrote for the other town printed. Maybe someone can do photos of then and now and put up a temporary museum. Im sure if you ask, you will get loads of inexpensive ways to get donations. Its too bad it cant go all the way back down. I really didnt understand why it couldnt. Good luck.

[@gaz1tinsley]

You should Drill a hole through the 3 walls and use an *Endoscope* So you can view whats inside that cave before you get k'novking any walls down ;)

[@mccabesmemorials]

Looks like they’ve taken a brick out of the wall

[@gaz1tinsley]

@@mccabesmemorials But aparently there is 3 wall layers

[@alisoncauser2955]

My grandad born 1898 used to walk up long stairs every day to get home from work.

[@chillintheuk]

that is fascinating, do you still live close to nottingham?

[@psychonaut689]

Well done Janine! It's a shame it won't be open to the public.

[@bluebadger8811]

If you drill a hole into brick or stone and plug it with wood it acts as a raw plug, those look quite linear from the camera angle, could they be the fixing for the sign?

[@chillintheuk]

I never even considered this. Great point and definitely a possibility 👍

[@alisonjackson-bass495]

I was wondering the same.

[@heartland96a]

She should find either a new publisher or go self published, so she could use the monies to either be income for her or towards the project

[@KyrstOak]

I agree.

[@crazyasalways9272]

Agreed and I know it's terrible but as a last ditch I know Amazon has a publishing link on their page at the bottom not sure about the commissions

[@kurtlee3198]

"unfortunately the publisher died!" my man cracks up laughing @9:59 ha ha ha british awkwardness intensifies

[@brianjackson4960]

Drill a small hole in the bricks and put a camera in

[@marklatimer7333]

Am I the only one here who when I hear "Hidden Cave" thinks "where we can watch those Cherokees go galloping by"?

[@artistjoh]

I suspect the reason for the triple brick wall is structural, and that cave collapse was the concern, endangering the buildings above it. There is no other good reason for the extra expenditure involved in building a triple brick wall other than engineering necessity to enable safely building the substantial building above it. Any breach of the wall needs to take this into consideration.

[@Chooseyourownadventure42]

Nah, dragon. 😂😂😂

[@marqsee7948]

that's your adventure. Some of us make it to the end of the book. @@Chooseyourownadventure42

[@TheSilmarillian]

That be the first thing I thought off.

[@TheSilmarillian]

@@Chooseyourownadventure42 or trolls of the nasty variety captured from under their bridge in the dead of night and sealed up behind the triple brick , just maybe but I can settle for dragons., seated atop a two story pile of gold ,scattered with glittering stones of the diamond variety and jewelry collected over the centuries. And still the dragon slumbers with always one eye open against marauders seeking said dragons treasure. But I digress have been told I do so , hello from down under.

[@ajcole5967]

Just had a look on google, shame they cannot restore them all the way down.

[@quinnabun1173]

This is sooooooo fascinating.love what you are doing 😊

[@690Lighthouse]

Very unusual that the wall behind where they are sitting on the steps has the bricks sloping down, they are normally lain horizontal because sloping bricks can become unstable.

[@chillintheuk]

i thought the same thing, very interesting indeed

[@trevormoat6919]

Really interesting, your comment on caves etc, visit Dover and look at all the caves, going back to before the Castle, right up to WW11 extending and creating more.....

[@chillintheuk]

I would love to visit those caves. Going to start making more content like this soon now they weather is nice 😌

[@SDE1994]

would have been even better if the full length could be rebuilt, but i can see from google maps there is a garage in the way

[@jackieclark7460]

Houses

[@lepterfirefall]

I think of the wall at the side...how many people have brushed down that wall over the centuries

[@waveydavie]

Fascinating, some ancestor of mine built a wee house there, I think it was called Wollaton Hall.

[@johnlaforte700]

Fantastic restoration. Looking forward to updates. 👍👍

[@jonhelmer8591]

Great video!

[@HansVerhoog]

A very interesting story 👍 I hope you'll succeed in in making it beautiful again and keep this history for many to see for a long time after 🙂 👍

[@AndrewMartinIsHere]

Fingers crossed for something dateable (eg a coin) that's been left in the cave, although if you find a wine cellar, good luck with drinking that! Great project - well done Janine and her team.

[@thekarmafarmer608]

Fantastic story. Great job.

[@MrYfrank14]

I'm in the US and I love videos like this because we do not have anything this old in the US. Another channel I watch shows where a river goes underground and you see the walls change from rock to brick to concrete as building materials changed over the years. I look at old brick bridges 100 feet tall and think somebody had to build that one brick at a time.

[@chillintheuk]

oh wow that sounds amazing, what channel is that? I watch a lot of American history and exploring channels so I might already follow lol

[@MrYfrank14]

@chillintheuk - the channel is "martin zero". And I think you may have misunderstood. martin zero shows places in the UK. Mostly around Manchester. In my post, I meant I watched your video and martin zero's channel because we do not have anything that old in the US. I like seeing how building construction has changed and how long some structures have lasted.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

15:20 Let the poor woman speak. Even if you're showering her with round after round of thanks, don't mean you should cut in to her just starting the answer to your question.

[@TheSilmarillian]

True indeed.

[@marqsee7948]

hey, if that bricked up shoestore area could be cleared out and well-prepared, it could be the production area for a really narrow tea patio... or something.

[@jackieclark7460]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[@andrewfarrington6627]

Nottingham City Council don't really care much about history just "progress". Its been like this since the 60's they plough forward with projects without making any historical considerations most of the time they want to demolish or ignore it. Half of visitors to Nottingham have no idea or notion of its real history. My architect friend did some work with Nottingham Uni Students and most of them had no idea the city was built on top of manmade sandstone caves, and soooo many have been lost to concrete or new developments in the last 40 years. There are quite a few bricked up cave entrances at the bottom of the Lace Market. My friend lived in one of the converted lace Mills at the top of this site and in the basement entrance to the building there were gated off caves.

[@wbbartlett]

I hope the restoration doesn't erase the Elder Sign on those walls. That cave was bricked up & hidden for a reason :D

[@TC-qd1zw]

Newcastle’s long stairs are still open and used every day.

[@TheSilmarillian]

The triple brick is interesting but also from that time period triple bricking would have been common, another maybe its triple bricked to support the arch , will be interesting to see what's back there . Thought why not get a plumber they have diamond drills and inspection cameras attached to optical cable could be a simpler way around the access. hello from down under , new sub here.

[@chillintheuk]

Thanks for your comment, getting a plumber in is a great idea 💡 I will pass this on to Janine when I see her again 😀 thanks for subscribing, hopefully more content like this will be coming soon 🙌

[@paulcrawley5687]

you know why the councillors all said yes so there Not responsible for it and they ain’t got to do what there meant to do , we call that passing the buck

[@bernadettecrawford3656]

Wow well done so interesting

[@IanKerry-ip6fx]

I love local history

[@chillintheuk]

@@IanKerry-ip6fx I'm trying to make more of this type of content, so I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@davidrobinson6353]

Well done Janine nice one girl .👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👍👍👍👍

[@rowie32]

probably the brickwork was to reinforce the path above, there are some substantial buildings built close to the path. just feet away on malin hill.

[@chrissmith-no3bo]

Let the dragon out. Its beautiful. Just think of how many of our families that immigranted to america and other countries might have stood there at one time

[@derrickguffey4775]

I am obsessed with history and the preservation of sites like this. It's a real shame how much history in the United States has been destroyed in the name of progress and modernity. I'd love to go to Britain and see some of these magnificent almost magical places. But financially it would be near impossible and considering Britain is no longer British I don't see that happening. More the pity.

[@chillintheuk]

Agreed and flipped! I would love to go to the US to see all the history there. There's a channel based around Salt Lake, called Ghost Town Living and its a ghost town called Cerro Gordo and I would absolutely love to visit there and see the old west

[@tricitymorte1]

​@@chillintheuk yes, let's swap places! 😂 I'll go to Britain, you come to the US, compare historical notes. Really, US history is either dinosaurs, or there's just a ton of stuff crammed into a short span of time. The American Southwest has lots Native American remnants - cave and cliff dwellings that are extremely fragile. The ghost towns are more modern, but still fascinating, even eerie. It's a good time! I hope you get to make that journey soon!

[@chillintheuk]

@@tricitymorte1 I mentioned this to Janine during our live stream on Saturday and what she said was very interesting, the stairs featured in this video are potentially older than America itself 😲 I hope so too, hopefully if my channel keeps doing well I'll be able to make a video about it too 🙏 My issue is where in the US to go, I want to visit every state but that would take months lol

[@tricitymorte1]

@@chillintheuk yes, you may have to make more than one trip. I can see historical tours of each state taking a year or more. As I recommend to anyone coming to the US for the first time: pick a three state region and plan your trip within those states. You can get more deeply immersed in it without tons of travel. If you can spare a few months, you could increase the range to about 6 states, depending on which ones you pick. You could spend an entire month in some of the larger states. If you go anywhere on the east coast, and want to get really well acquaintanted with the history, allow at least a week in each city you plan to visit (that still won't be enough for everything).

[@juncusbufonius]

there is a stair case like this in the old part of St Georges, Grenada. With an area restored as a small quiet space half way up. It connects the Harbour and the Fort.

[@daveratcliffe-lg5rd]

yeah, sadly open something like this up in this country it's suddenly full of alcy junkies. keep it open on request only.

[@scoochysteve]

Drill a hole through the brick and put an inspection camera through...

[@captaincatastrophe5143]

There is no footage of opening the wall. I just saved you all a bunch of time

[@georgerobartes2008]

Nottingham , proud of its heritage .