St Peters Square, Nottingham, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

St Peters Square is a public space in Nottingham city centre, listed at Brewhouse Yard, the old quarter below Castle Rock where several of the city's oldest pubs stand. It matters because this corner of Nottingham ties into the long argument over which pub in England is the oldest, and into the Robin Hood tales the city is known for.

The story behind it

Brewhouse Yard sits at the foot of the sandstone rock that Nottingham Castle was built on. The soft rock has been dug into for centuries, and the caves beneath the nearby pubs are a big part of the area's character.

Three Nottingham pubs each claim to be the oldest in the country. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem says a public house has stood on its site since 1189, and its cellars run into the caves. The name itself was first recorded in 1799. Other pubs in town base their claim on the age of the building or on how long they have served drinks, so each can say it holds a slice of the title. Treat the dates as local claims rather than settled fact.

What to look for

• The sandstone face of Castle Rock rising above the buildings, with the pub walls seeming to grow straight out of it.
• The sign and frontage of Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which carries its famous founding date.
• The way the lanes and yards of Brewhouse Yard sit low and tucked away, unlike the busy streets of the centre.
• The openings and cut stone of the rock, which hint at the cave network that runs under this part of town.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to look around the yard and the foot of the rock, longer if you stop for a drink.
• Go earlier in the day for quieter lanes and easier photos, and check current opening hours if you want to go inside a pub.
• Nottingham Castle is a short walk up the hill, so the two fit neatly into one outing.
• The ground around the rock is uneven in places, so wear comfortable shoes.

See it on a quest

Maid Marian's Nottingham: Finding Robin Hood is a good way to see this part of the city on foot. You reach the area as one stop on a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Nottingham Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. suits anyone who prefers a mystery to a legend. You walk between real places, hear the story of each one when you get there, and solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.