27/08/2026
The Bodega, Pelham Street – and the history beneath it
The Bodega on Pelham Street is probably best known today as one of Nottingham's long-running live music venues, but the history of the site goes back considerably further than the present building — and beneath it lies another part of Nottingham's hidden history.
The building we see today dates from 1902, when it was constructed to replace the much older Durham Ox public house. The architect was George Dennis Martin, and plans for the rebuilding survive in Nottinghamshire Archives. Interestingly, the plans still referred to the building as the Durham Ox, despite the Bodega Company being behind the redevelopment.
The Durham Ox itself had a fascinating history.
It was an important coaching inn, serving as the starting point for mail coaches to places including Lincoln and Newark. During the 19th century it was also associated with local trade organisations, including lacemakers and printers, and by the 1850s it had developed into a music-hall pub, hosting performances and what were known as "Free and Easies". It was reportedly one of Nottingham's most popular music-hall pubs.
But even the Durham Ox wasn't the beginning.
Pelham Street is itself medieval. It was originally known as Gridlesmith Gate, and the area around it has undergone enormous changes over the centuries.
And this is where things get particularly interesting.
The Bodega sits close to the former site of Thurland Hall, the enormous medieval residence associated with Thomas Thurland. The original Thurland Hall stood on the north side of Gridlesmith Gate and occupied a surprisingly large area. Historical descriptions place its grounds between what are now Parliament Street, Pelham Street, Carlton Street, Clumber Street and Broad Street. Thurland hall was built in 1458 and destroyed completely 1831.
So when we look at the area today, we're looking at a landscape which has been repeatedly rebuilt, divided up and redeveloped over many centuries.
And beneath Nottingham, those changes don't always erase what came before.
The caves beneath the Bodega
NHAS has recently been given the opportunity to visit a private cave beneath/associated with the Bodega.
We are extremely grateful to the owner for allowing us access and for trusting us to investigate and record something which is normally completely inaccessible.
Inside are features which have raised an interesting possibility — could part of the underground space have originally been associated with a malt kiln?
At this stage, we are not saying that it definitely is a malt kiln. Nottingham has many different types of underground spaces, including cellars, storage chambers, quarry workings and caves, and identifying their original purpose isn't always straightforward.
However, the possibility is interesting enough for us to investigate properly.
There are already known underground spaces in the immediate area, and the historic development of Nottingham's brewing and malting industries means that a malt-related interpretation cannot simply be ruled out.
It also raises another question:
Could some of the underground features pre-date the present 1902 building?
The fact that the Bodega occupies a site with a much older pub, sits within an area associated with the medieval Thurland Hall estate, and is surrounded by other historic underground spaces makes this a particularly fascinating site for further research.
And there's another story above ground...
The 1902 building was commissioned by the Bodega Company, a large wine and spirits business which had branches across Britain and Ireland.
Its Nottingham branch was connected with Edward Talbot Wolesley, chairman of the company. Wolesley was subsequently involved in a rather extraordinary financial scandal surrounding the acquisition of the Durham Ox and other premises.
In 1904, the Nottingham Evening Post reported that he had been declared bankrupt after resigning from the company. One of the issues involved was a reported £9,180 "secret commission" connected with the purchase of the Durham Ox — an enormous sum at the time.
The building itself was also designed with more than just drinking in mind. The original plans included a Bodega on the ground floor and a club room/billiard room above, and by 1904 the premises were being described as a billiard saloon.
The venue has subsequently gone through several identities, including Cairo's, Rosie O'Brien's and The Social, before returning to the Bodega name. The present music venue opened as The Social in 1999 and became the Bodega again in 2007.
So next time you're walking along Pelham Street and pass the Bodega, there is considerably more beneath your feet than you might imagine.
A medieval street.
The site of an old coaching inn and music hall.
The edge of the enormous medieval Thurland Hall estate.
A 1902 building with its own rather colourful history.
And, potentially, an underground feature whose original purpose has yet to be established.
This is one we'll be researching further. We want to look at the historic maps, property records, archive plans and existing cave information before drawing any conclusions about what the underground space was originally used for.
A huge thank you again to the owner for allowing NHAS access and helping us document another piece of Nottingham's hidden history.
Please note: the cave is private and not open to the public. Access was granted to NHAS specifically for historical research and recording. Please do not contact the owner or the Bodega asking to visit it, and please don't attempt to gain access yourself.
Nottingham really is a city with history beneath our feet.
゚viralシ
