Yttrium

Established in 1189, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is one of several pubs claiming to be the oldest in England. It was a favourite watering hole for the crusaders on their way to the Holy Land.

The inn is built into the rocks that Nottingham Castle is built on, and is famous for its caves carved out of the soft sandstone rock against which the building is set. The caves beneath the building were originally used as a brewery and it is thought they date from around the time of the construction of the castle in 1068.

The inn is steeped in history and is said to be Nottingham’s most haunted. One room houses a ‘cursed’ model of a galleon. None of the staff have cleaned it in 50 years because those who have given it a scrub died ‘mysterious deaths’ with a short time of each other.

The rare-earth element ignites easily in air, and has been found in rocks retrieved from the moon.

The mineral was found in Ytterby, Sweden giving it its name.

Yttrium oxide is added to the glass used to make camera lenses to make them heat and shock resistant. And the radioactive isotope yttrium-90 has medical uses. It can be used to treat some cancers, such as liver cancer.