Wednesday, 20 September 2023
People in Nottingham are being encouraged to share their stories and memories of the city’s unique ancient caves, as part of a new research project.
There are more than 800 caves underneath Nottingham. They date back to the Middle Ages, and throughout the centuries, they’ve been used for many different purposes; from WW2 air raid shelters to cellar storage. Despite their important connection to the city, they remain relatively understudied.
In 2022, researchers at the University of Nottingham mapped existing knowledge of the caves as part of the AHRC-funded ‘City of Caves Project’. The work highlighted the long memories and deep connections that Nottingham people have for the caves. Now, a new oral history project will capture those stories for the first time.
We’re really excited to invite anyone who has a story they want to tell about Nottingham’s caves to share it with us. Even if the story is more fiction than fact, it tells us a lot about the important role the caves play in Nottingham’s urban identity. We anticipate uncovering new connections to the caves and unearthing more information about how these sites have been used and talked about in Nottingham’s history.
The results of the oral history project will provide a wealth of data to inform further research into the social history of Nottingham’s caves. It will also directly feed into plans for future research and enhance the city’s visitor economy.
Researchers want to hear from anyone with memories of using the caves. They can contact the university online here or email Caves@Nottingham.ac.uk.
The team will interview some participants in person and use their stories to create a collection at the East Midlands Oral History Archive. The stories will also be publicly available via a new website.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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