Where Ye Olde Salutation Inn is

You will find the pub on Hounds Gate, postcode NG1 7AA, in the middle of Nottingham and only a few minutes on foot from Old Market Square. Maid Marian Way runs close by, so it sits within easy reach of the castle quarter rather than out in a suburb. Put NG1 7AA into a mapping app and you will walk straight to the door.

If you are choosing between Nottingham's old pubs, this one is central enough to combine with the castle and the Trip without a bus ride between them.

Getting there and how long to allow

Nottingham's trams and city buses converge on Old Market Square, which leaves a short, flat walk to Hounds Gate. From the railway station the walk is longer but still city-centre work, and the car parks around Maid Marian Way suit anyone driving in. The pub does not sell admission in the ordinary sense, so your only commitment is whatever you spend at the bar.

Budget an hour for a drink and a look round, or a little more if you plan to eat. That is enough to take in the rooms, read the walls and find out whether the cellars can be seen during your visit. Anyone planning a full half-day should pair it with the castle quarter rather than stretching one pub into an afternoon.

The claim to old age

Parts of the building are said to date from about 1240, which puts the Sal among several Nottingham pubs with a claim to serious age; the Trip and the Bell Inn are often cited as its rivals. Treat the exact founding year as the pub's own tradition rather than a documented fact, because the competing claims are impossible to settle over a bar counter.

What the name actually means

The name is religious in origin: the full sign was the Archangel Gabriel saluting the Virgin Mary, and a Salutation is the greeting Gabriel gave her. Names of that kind were typical for guesthouses attached to friaries and other religious houses, which is why so many old English inns carry them. Locals shorten it to the Sal, so ask for that if you are checking directions or ringing ahead.

What to look for inside

The headline feature is the system of rock-cut cellars beneath the building, described as man-made caves from the 9th century, and paranormal investigators have been invited to book overnight ghost hunts down there. Those caves fit Nottingham's wider network of excavated sandstone, the same geology that puts cellars and passages under much of the city centre. Look for the cave space when you arrive and ask at the bar whether it can be seen during your visit, since access depends on what is happening that day.

The rooms themselves are the other draw: an old inn layout with small spaces rather than one open barn. It rewards a slow pint and a wander rather than a quick photo at the door.

The legends attached to the pub

The Sal has built a reputation as one of Britain's most haunted pubs, with tales of a flower seller called Rosie, three former landlords all named John and assorted other apparitions. There are also stories linking Oliver Cromwell and the highwayman Dick Turpin to the building. Treat the lot as storytelling and pub folklore: they are good company over a pint, but none of it is verified history, and the telling is half the point.

The pub has leaned into the reputation rather than resisted it, and paranormal events have been run in the caves. If that is your reason for coming, check what is scheduled directly with the pub before travelling, as the programme changes.

Food, drink and the evening trade

Expect home-cooked pub food and real ale rather than a fine-dining menu, with the beer range changing as casks turn over. If you want a named local brewery's beer, note that Nottingham has its own tap rooms, including one run by Castle Rock Brewery, a short walk from the station.

Later in the week the pub turns into a livelier proposition, with rock, karaoke and DJ nights advertised. That makes it a good late stop and a poor choice for a quiet conversation after about nine. For fish and chips instead of a bar meal, The Cod's Scallops in Nottingham is a separate trip worth planning.

Who it suits and who it does not

Come here if you want a pint in a genuinely old building with a story attached and you are happy to stand or perch at busy times. It suits couples and small groups making a stop on a city wander. It is less suited to anyone wanting a quiet Sunday lunch, a guaranteed table for a booked family meal, or space for young children late in the evening.

Bookings, kitchen hours, children's cut-off times and whether the caves are open all vary, so ring or message the pub before a special occasion. Do not assume a table will be free on a Friday or Saturday night.

Nearby after your visit

Nottingham Castle sits a short walk away up the hill, and Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is built into the sandstone beneath it, which makes a natural second stop if you are tracing the city's cave cellars. The castle grounds themselves are the obvious next step for anyone building a half-day around this corner of the centre.

If you would rather follow the beer than the ghosts, Canal House on Canal Street is a short walk west and makes a contrasting stop with its own waterside setting.

Is the Sal worth the detour?

Yes, if you want one good pint in a very old building with cave cellars and a strong line in local legend, and you are already in the city centre. No, if you are after a booked, quiet meal or a ticketed attraction with set hours; this is a pub first.

Check the pub's own channels for opening times, kitchen hours and any cave or ghost events before you set out, then walk in from Old Market Square and let it be one stop on a Nottingham wander rather than the whole day.