In this month's Truth or Legend, our unofficial resident urban myth expert Matthew Blaney delves into some of the mysteries of Ye OIde Trip to Jerusalem...
If there is ever one thing certain about Nottingham, it is this; you will never struggle to find a cosy place to spend an evening (or a day if you are that way inclined) to ensure your drinking needs have been fulfilled. Whether it be one of Castle Rock’s finest which catches your eye, or maybe one of them new genre-defining ale bars which promises to have barley which was malted on Mars all whilst being dog friendly, Nottingham is the place to be for a good olde pint.
With over 200 public houses across the city, there is one that stands out to locals, historians, but most importantly paranormal enthusiasts, and that is of course Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. The Rock Lounge, housed deep within the sandstone cliff face, seems to be a fairly notorious place for odd happenings. During the 90s, ex-landlady Marilyn stated that upon arriving at the Trip, she was informed of the paranormal activity taking place. Staff members claimed to have rushed upstairs with a dustpan and brush, fearing for the fate of their employment as the sound of smashing glass echoed around its walls alongside bloke-ish ‘Wheyyyys,’ just to find out that all the glasses remained intact. Another case involves a group of tourists who had asked to see the cellars, just to be greeted by a two-foot soldier walking through a wall, who I can only assume did not bang his head off any of the doorways during his inspection of the kegs. But despite these peculiar, and quite frankly traumatic experiences, it is in fact a chair and a model ship which take the top spot for the pub’s spookiest folklore.
The cursed galleon is said to have been a parting gift from a visiting sailor. Following years of dust collecting onboard the ship, the unfortunate person who took on the task of cleaning it sadly met his match not long after.
Sitting on a raised platform, beside a small fireplace, tucked away beside the bar in the Rock Lounge, keen eyed ale-drinkers can spot a wooden chair on its lonesome. Whilst some visitors may assume this to be the designated naughty corner for kids, or even adults, who are in need of a time out, its true power is addressed on the placard above the chair. Legend has it that any woman who sits on the chair will become pregnant. With regards to the immediacy of the pregnancy, there have been no official reports of day drinkers going into labour. However, I am rather superstitious and would still not take the risk (mainly due to small print on the placard which kindly asks guests not to sit on the chair).
If you move along to the bar area, therein lies one of the pub's most notorious haunted relics. Within the paranormal community, a wooden galleon is believed to have the power to kill those unfortunate enough to come into physical contact with its sails. The cursed galleon is said to have been a parting gift from a visiting sailor. Following years of dust collecting onboard the ship, the unfortunate person who took on the task of cleaning it sadly met his match not long after. The last three people who have been tasked with dusting the ship have ironically also ended up as dust - presuming that they were cremated. As a result of the triple homicide, the boat now sits in a glass case above the bar. The cursed galleon is arguably one of the most haunting tales from Nottingham’s extensive list of urban myths, or simply just a keen-eyed ex-landlord’s brilliant plan to save on labour costs.
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