Brewhouse Yard
Museum of 17th-century cottages and cave dwellings below Nottingham Castle rock, telling the stories of four families of the textile trades.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Brewhouse Yard lies at the foot of the rock on which Nottingham Castle stands. It began as a group of cave dwellings cut into the sandstone, and the caves are still there, from medieval maltings and tanneries to air raid shelters of the Second World War. The yard has links to the castle, to the tunnel known as Mortimer's Hole and to the pub Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem.
The site once lay outside the town's parish, which made it a refuge for religious nonconformists and a haunt of criminals. Generations of textile workers lived and worked here. Its 17th-century cottages now tell the stories of four families linked with Nottingham's textile history: the Wildboare cloth fullers and dyers, the Elliott dyers, the Lee framework knitters from the time of the Luddites, and the Webster lace workers.
Nottingham City Council bought the site in 1972 and opened it as a museum. Today Brewhouse Yard is run as part of the Nottingham Castle site and is covered by the castle ticket.
Highlights
- Four 17th-century cottages showing family life in the textile trades
- Cave dwellings, maltings and tanneries cut into the sandstone
- Second World War air raid shelter caves
- Links to Mortimer's Hole and Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Permanent exhibition
- Brewhouse Yard: Life beneath Castle Rock – Seventeenth-century cottages and caves showing how four families connected with the textile trades lived over four centuries.
- Founded
- 1972
- Operated by
- Nottingham Castle Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £18 |
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| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Under-16s go free, up to three per paying adult, and must be accompanied by an adult. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers are free with a paying visitor; bring proof of being a carer. |
The Brewhouse Yard page says the ticket covers Nottingham Castle, the museum and grounds, and Brewhouse Yard. The adult ticket for the castle is £18 plus a booking fee; no separate Brewhouse Yard price is published. Tickets can be bought online or on site.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Brewhouse Yard caves are at ground level and designed to be as accessible as possible, but the floors can be uneven because of the local rock. Toilets for visitors with disabilities are listed among the facilities. Across the Nottingham Castle site, assistance dogs are welcome in the museums, and Blue Badge parking is subject to availability and should be requested in advance by email.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
There is no visitor parking at Nottingham Castle; the castle refers visitors to the city public car park guide.
Brewhouse Yard is on Castle Boulevard at the foot of the castle rock, near Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Groups are accepted. Separate cave tours and castle dungeon tours (£9 per person) are offered at Nottingham Castle as optional extras. |
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