Church Cemetery, or Rock Cemetery, is a short walk from Nottingham city centre. It is classed as a haunted location and has a good novels worth of spooky lore behind it.
Where is Gallows Hill in Nottingham?
At the entrance, the flat piece of ground, now an unsuspecting pavement, used to be where the gallows were placed for criminals to hang. As a result, the hill coined the nickname Gallows Hill. Many hangings took place here until the mid 1800’s. The last person to have been hanged here was William Wells, who was sentenced to death for highway robbery on the 2nd of April in 1827.
Gallows and Skeleton Remains Near Mapperley Road
After doing a little research I found some images of the area, which, if you’re local especially, are super interesting. This is an overview of the Forest Rec area, which as you can see, used to be lined with windmills. It was generally very remote.
Prior to the Gallows Hill site being used, Ogilby’s Oakham to Barnsley map of 1674 displays permanent gallows placed at the summit of the forest ridge, known at present as Mapperley Road. On this road, you’ll also find the church (St.Andrew’s Church) where more than 15 skeletons were found in 1826, after levelling work was being completed on the road. These were likely remains of those hung at those gallows.
Church Cemetery’s Haunted Caves
Back to Church Cemetery, this location also has unusual caves, including the famous Robin Hood’s cave, catacombs, and caverns located at the far side of the site, which are often toured with paranormal activity groups. These caves are said to be heavily haunted, with many claiming to hear whispers inside, and various sightings being reported of particular apparitions, including a Victorian Lady dressed in White and a ghostly miner who roams the entrance to the caves.
Spooky, Halloween-Themed Things To Do In Nottingham
If you’ve purchased a Hunting Horror East Midlands Day Guide, this is the perfect spooky add-on to your day out; although of course please bear in mind that this is a place of resting and that it should be visited with care and respect. If you haven’t tried one of our day guides yet, click here to browse our collection of spooky day guides, that provide all the fright without the faff.
References:
http://spotlight.nottingham.ac.uk/story005/viewImage.asp?page=1&image=3
http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/articles/tts/tts1910/nottinghamstreets1.htm
https://nottinghamhiddenhistoryteam.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/the-gallows-hill-of-nottingham/