The History:
Rouse's Sandmine off Mansfield Road was created between around 1780 and 1810 and has many fascinating original features created by James Rouse, as well as its later uses as a Victorian and early 20th century tourist attraction, and Second World War air raid shelter.
Nicknamed the Mammoth Cave because of its vast size and winding passages, which make this cave system a labyrinth.
This used to be a toured place in the city, tours stopped around 2020, we think possibly due to covid.
It is the largest of Nottingham’s four remaining sand mines.
Situated to the west of Mansfield Road the mine is 200m from end to end.
It is thought that the mine was in use from around 1780 to 1810.
However it is possible that the mine was worked from an even earlier date, acting as a direct source of sand for a nearby glass works which was in operation until 1760.
The mine was forgotten until about 1892 when the caves became a tourist attraction, ‘Robin Hood’s Mammoth Cave’.
A number of properties on Mansfield Road have basements cut into the sandstone which open out into the sand mine.
Their entrances today would be blocked off as we only spotted 2 ways in and out, there was however a lot of bricked up / metal sheeted holes that looked as though they was potentially ways in/out.
In the Second World War the caves were used as air raid shelters.
Two new entrances and associated tunnels were cut, lighting fitted and blast walls were added.
The Explore :
This place has been locked up for a long time, I guess since it was/is a toured place.. However we got a tip off one night that the door was open so we went straight down and low and behold it was.
Wandered around for a good hour I'd say,
The place is so big it's easy to lose track of which way you had been or hadn't been.
There's also a fair few parts that seem to be somewhat infilled with small gaps to slide through that open back up into another kind of room in the cave system, before coming to a steel sheet.. These were probably entrances/exits.
Whether the infill looking parts are intentional, erosion/crumbling over time or originally designed like that we are unsure.
All in all a brilliant after work explore on a Friday night and something quite different than what I'm used to doing.
Enjoy The Photos:
The stairwell leading back up to street level, there was about 6/7 flights of these stairs, we were very deep down.
As you can see there was passages leading different directions all over.
Found a few relics whilst in there.
Old looking spade.
Decaying ladder.
I think, but I'm not metal expert, that this gate is iron.
I'm most likely wrong and if I am I'd be Interested to know what it is.
They even built little walkway ways / paths.
I'm unsure if this cross picture is original, but it definitely looked old.
Loved all the old signs painted on the walls.
The black paint seen in the lower right hand of the picture is obviously newer markings.
Ice cold milk, why would that sign be down here? Did they have like temporary stalls/shops inside air raids? Or possibly just found its way down and never left?
Close up of that gate in a previous picture.
This shows what I can only describe as a air shaft, although I never realised air raids / caves had air shafts, I guess fresh air has to come from somewhere.
Looking up the air shaft, it appears to be a manhole.
As soon as you come down the stairs this is what your faced with.
One of the old lights.
This is around the other side of the earlier picture, there is at least 4 different routes to take in this photo.
I'm currently stood with my back to a closed exit. It's actually mad to think they have added things like steps down here and all the minor details that didn't need to be.
To the right of the picture, that in an infill bit I was on about, at top of that pile of rubble you can get through and it's another small room before coming to a dead end.
More twists and turns.
Found an old milk bottle.
Emergency exit sign, between these and what out and exit there is arrows pointing in all directions
This is a photo I found online showing the layout of the cave system.
That's all for this one, thanks for reading.
Rouse's Sandmine off Mansfield Road was created between around 1780 and 1810 and has many fascinating original features created by James Rouse, as well as its later uses as a Victorian and early 20th century tourist attraction, and Second World War air raid shelter.
Nicknamed the Mammoth Cave because of its vast size and winding passages, which make this cave system a labyrinth.
This used to be a toured place in the city, tours stopped around 2020, we think possibly due to covid.
It is the largest of Nottingham’s four remaining sand mines.
Situated to the west of Mansfield Road the mine is 200m from end to end.
It is thought that the mine was in use from around 1780 to 1810.
However it is possible that the mine was worked from an even earlier date, acting as a direct source of sand for a nearby glass works which was in operation until 1760.
The mine was forgotten until about 1892 when the caves became a tourist attraction, ‘Robin Hood’s Mammoth Cave’.
A number of properties on Mansfield Road have basements cut into the sandstone which open out into the sand mine.
Their entrances today would be blocked off as we only spotted 2 ways in and out, there was however a lot of bricked up / metal sheeted holes that looked as though they was potentially ways in/out.
In the Second World War the caves were used as air raid shelters.
Two new entrances and associated tunnels were cut, lighting fitted and blast walls were added.
The Explore :
This place has been locked up for a long time, I guess since it was/is a toured place.. However we got a tip off one night that the door was open so we went straight down and low and behold it was.
Wandered around for a good hour I'd say,
The place is so big it's easy to lose track of which way you had been or hadn't been.
There's also a fair few parts that seem to be somewhat infilled with small gaps to slide through that open back up into another kind of room in the cave system, before coming to a steel sheet.. These were probably entrances/exits.
Whether the infill looking parts are intentional, erosion/crumbling over time or originally designed like that we are unsure.
All in all a brilliant after work explore on a Friday night and something quite different than what I'm used to doing.
Enjoy The Photos:
The stairwell leading back up to street level, there was about 6/7 flights of these stairs, we were very deep down.
As you can see there was passages leading different directions all over.
Found a few relics whilst in there.
Old looking spade.
Decaying ladder.
I think, but I'm not metal expert, that this gate is iron.
I'm most likely wrong and if I am I'd be Interested to know what it is.
They even built little walkway ways / paths.
I'm unsure if this cross picture is original, but it definitely looked old.
Loved all the old signs painted on the walls.
The black paint seen in the lower right hand of the picture is obviously newer markings.
Ice cold milk, why would that sign be down here? Did they have like temporary stalls/shops inside air raids? Or possibly just found its way down and never left?
Close up of that gate in a previous picture.
This shows what I can only describe as a air shaft, although I never realised air raids / caves had air shafts, I guess fresh air has to come from somewhere.
Looking up the air shaft, it appears to be a manhole.
As soon as you come down the stairs this is what your faced with.
One of the old lights.
This is around the other side of the earlier picture, there is at least 4 different routes to take in this photo.
I'm currently stood with my back to a closed exit. It's actually mad to think they have added things like steps down here and all the minor details that didn't need to be.
To the right of the picture, that in an infill bit I was on about, at top of that pile of rubble you can get through and it's another small room before coming to a dead end.
More twists and turns.
Found an old milk bottle.
Emergency exit sign, between these and what out and exit there is arrows pointing in all directions
This is a photo I found online showing the layout of the cave system.
That's all for this one, thanks for reading.
