In getting to know Sharon, I've discovered that she's a writer after my own heart, sharing my love of research and a draw to the older myths and folklore. I love the fascinating information she gleaned on the caves of Nottingham, perhaps because there's some striking similarities between them and the caves and underground cities of Cappadocia, Turkey, that I'm using in one of my stories.
So, please welcome Sharon to the blog, and I hope you enjoy learning more about this hidden gem of Nottingham's history.
YE OLDE CAVES OF
NOTTINGHAM
In my
middle-grade/young adult time travel book, TheLast Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, my feisty group of adolescent
characters’ first mission lands them in England in 1214 where they must find a
young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens. Legend has it that one of Robin
Hood’s haunts (besides the famous Sherwood Forest) was the village of
Nottingham.
When I undertook the meticulous research needed to craft my novel,
I came across an interesting fact about Nottingham I had never known: beneath
the houses, shops, and offices of Nottingham are hundreds of caves. My eyes
bugged and imagination went into overdrive, while I gathered fact after fact
about the Nottingham caves. In truth, it was a little like panning for gold
nuggets.
The end result of the
information I gleaned is woven into my story, but I’d like to share some other
interesting facts about these not-so-famous caves:
- The earliest written record of Nottingham’s caves comes from a Welsh monk called Asser who when writing about Nottingham in 868 referred to the town as Tig Guocobauc, meaning house or place of caves in British.
- Nottingham has more man-made caves than anywhere else in Britain.
- The exposed cliff of the sandstone outcrop made this an obvious place for the early citizens of Nottingham to make their home. The occupants of these cave houses were generally poor and the caves were known as pauper holes.
- Each cave is unique and created for a specific purpose; some even have elaborate carvings, pillars and staircases.
- The softness of Nottingham’s sandstone makes it easy to excavate with hand tools, and the structural stability means that excavated caves are safe to use, even with buildings above them.
- Throughout the medieval period Nottingham continued to grow and prosper, becoming a centre for trades such as wool manufacture, tanning, malting, alabaster carving and pottery production. A number of these activities were undertaken in Nottingham’s caves.
- Sandstone caves maintain a constant temperature of around 14 degrees Celsius/ 57.2 Fahrenheit and therefore made excellent cellars for the storage of ale.
- At the start of the Second World War new caves were excavated and old ones reused to act as Air Raid shelters.
Believe it or not, few people in Nottingham are aware of this labyrinth,
and fewer still have visited them. Unfortunately, in these modern times, a
significant number of caves have been filled in with cement or bricked up, with
others disappearing through natural collapse. There’s a special project
underway called the Nottingham Caves Survey which hopes to survey and document
all the caves under Nottingham, and bring awareness to this unique historical
resource. I invite you to take a
virtual tour if you dare: http://nottinghamcavessurvey.org.uk/
Susan here -- Thanks Sharon so much for sharing some of your research with us.
To
celebrate our Back to School Extravaganza, Euterpe Books is giving away
one copy of Sharon's ebook, plus Sharon has offered a prize package that
includes a signed paperback novel of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, a trading card, two wristbands (adult and youth size), and an Ionic Power wrist watch. To enter, all you need to do is comment before Sunday
evening. I'll draw a winner for the book and the
prize package on Sunday night (9/16) at 7 pm EST Extended to Monday night (9/17) at 10 pm EST!
We'd love to hear about your research. What's some interesting tidbits you've uncovered researching for a story? Or, has your research ever inspired you into a whole new story than what you had planned?
When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and
her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a
choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week
crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in
the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an
ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to
be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the
evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can
they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then
history itself may be turned upside down.
Bio:
Sharon Ledwith is the author of
the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through
Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys
reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch.
Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her
hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
