A previously unknown cave, uncovered during recent redevelopment works in Nottingham’s Broad Marsh area, has revealed what experts believe to be a remarkable and unusual piece of the city’s history, a hidden stash of cheese dating back over 260 years.
The chamber was discovered when construction teams working on the Broad Marsh transformation project identified a narrow passageway behind a section of exposed sandstone, just a short distance from the Nottingham City of Caves attraction. Initial surveys suggest the cave had remained sealed for centuries. The newly revealed cavern was found to contain over 50 large, aged wheels of cheese, many remarkably well-preserved in the cool, stable conditions of the sandstone environment.
Historians are already linking the discovery to Nottingham’s infamous Nottingham Cheese Riot of 1766, when local residents protested rising food prices and seized large quantities of cheese from merchants. Among the finds, one particularly substantial wheel is believed to weigh close to 100lbs, leading to speculation that it could be the very cheese said to have bowled over the town’s mayor during the chaos.
Experts from the Nottingham City of Caves have been brought in to assess both the structure and its unusual contents.
Katie Greenwood of Nottingham City of Caves said:
“We’ve never seen anything quite like this. The preservation conditions within Nottingham’s caves are ideal for organic materials, but discovering cheese of this apparent age is extraordinary.”
Specialist teams are now conducting detailed analysis to determine the composition, age, and origin of the cheese, with hopes of confirming whether it can indeed be traced back to the events of 1766.
Megan Powell Vreeswijk, Chief Executive of Visit Nottinghamshire, said:
“Nottingham has always been a city full of surprises, but this is certainly one of the more unusual discoveries. It’s a fantastic reminder of the rich and sometimes quirky history beneath our streets.”
One of the workers who was part of the discovery joked:
“We thought someone had left a sandwich down there years ago… turns out it might be a piece of history!”
While the site remains under investigation, there are already discussions about whether the cave could eventually form part of Nottingham’s wider visitor experience.
Further updates will be shared as investigations continue, in the meantime happy April Fool’s Day!
We welcome you to discover the real mysteries of Nottingham’s Cave network and explore the City of Caves
Posted on 01 April 2026
