We Had a Pint With the Brains Behind the Nottingham Ghost Walk to Celebrate Their 30th Anniversary

My last week interning at Leftlion was unlike any last week of work I’ve ever had. I spent my Tuesday afternoon in the oldest pub in the world reminiscing and discussing collectable thermometers with five ghost fanatics. It is definitely one for the books, that’s for sure… Perched upon a chair in the Trip’s ‘Haunted Snug’, the crew of raconteurs began delving deep into the early days of the tour and how they have grown in popularity among both tourists and locals. 

Despite being a popular attraction in most cities today, back in 1993 ghost walks were relatively rare in the country, with just two established in York and Edinburgh. Spotting that Nottingham’s rich mediaeval history, ancient pubs and plethora of caves would provide excellent content for another, Jenny Bright, a well-known local psychic, and her husband, Dr David Cross, got to work on researching the city’s supernatural happenings, recruiting their friend Simon in the process. “They asked me if I wanted to give it a go in Nottingham and I thought it sounded like a great and crazy idea, so of course I agreed,” says Simon.

Once Jenny and David retired, Simon and Bryan took over the walk and now own the business: “Tony has been with us since around the same time that they had retired and it’s definitely grown, so now we have Lauren and Jess as well. My daughter Rowan is also part of the team of guides and does the children’s walks.” 

Whilst the walk is supposed to be enjoyable and there is a dramatised element to it, it is also based on good solid history and the guides “don’t monkey about with the history, because we know people rely on that kind of thing to be solidly factual information and we like to educate a bit.” But don’t get it twisted, this certainly isn’t your average history lesson. After all, it is walking around the most ghostly parts of Nottingham with strangers, and a guide dressed head to toe in steampunk drip. What more could one ask for on a Saturday night?

A lot of the history on the ghost walk dates back to mediaeval times and Bryan explains that many details from that period are quite limited in terms of what they have on the curriculum. Consequently, the ghost walk is an excellent opportunity to learn about Nottingham’s rich historical significance without any of the more “gruesome” details spared.

While each walk takes the same route, beginning at The Olde Trip to Jerusalem, meandering around the Castle Quarter and finishing in the caves under The Olde Salutation Inn, no walk is entirely the same. Each guide brings their own touch, and there are no scripts involved. This makes it a much more authentic experience, especially for regulars. 

The crew shared some fabulous memories about their time on the ghost walk. Lauren, who has only been on the team for a year, spoke about something peculiar she found on her first solo tour. “The tour went really well, but the next day I woke up and found these massive scratches on my leg despite not feeling anything at the time. I’ve got really short nails and I don’t really scratch easily. So whether that was one of the ghosts, I don’t know…”

Finishing up our chat, the crew took me into the caves under the ‘Sal to have a look. It is fair to say, like most of Nottingham’s caves, a lot has happened here. With records confirming the building in use as an inn from the seventeenth century, the caves beneath date back much further, possibly to the ninth century, and they have been used for tanning leather, brewing beer, hiding Jews facing persecution and even as a shelter for a leper colony. 

(Ironically my biggest fear is in fact, you guessed it, ghostly matter - so, I’m sure you can imagine my delight when I found myself underground with rumoured ghosts. This was the most perfect interview for me, really!) 

There’s no need for mock Tudor facades and made up spooks in Nottingham - we have historical haunts and creepy caves, ancient inns and ghastly tales galore. In all seriousness, these guys tell a heck of a good story, so if you’re looking for a unique way to explore the more eerie side of Nottingham history, then look no further. 

@nottsghostwalk