Behold, intrepid explorer…you have uncovered our secret map into the unknown. Now you’ve enjoyed every drop of that Neck Oil and have stepped outside, you’re ready to explore some extraordinary hidden destinations. By following the guided route below, you’ll unearth wonders that are out of this world.

Binks Yard – Nottingham

Set on your journey from Binks Yard along station road, make a right on Canal Street, then another right onto Castle Road. Carry on up Castle Road and past the Robin Hood statue, and you will arrive on Standard Hill. This is the site where Charles I raised the Royal Standard in 1642, effectively kicking off the English Civil War. There is a plaque commemorating the event on nearby King Charles Street. In 1646 Charles would spend his last night as a free man at another Nottinghamshire pub, the Saracen’s Head (then the King’s Head) in Southwell. 

Walk north-east on Friar Lane and follow Maid Marian Way until taking St James Street to the Bell Inn. Built around 1437, the cellars of the pub are located in manmade caves which predate the pub, cut into the sandstone by Carmelite friars. Other features include leprosy windows, where drinkers would have their fingers checked to ensure a full set. (Another local pub, Ye Olde Salutation Inn, may be the oldest of the lot and can be visited nearby). 

From the Bell Inn, walk east to the Exchange shopping arcade for a 1920s representation of Nottingham’s history and myth on the high walls of the central atrium. Recently restored, the murals depict the Vikings taking Nottingham, William the Conqueror eyeing up land to build the castle, Charles I on Standard Hill and, of course, the folk hero Robin Hood.

Approximately 2km