Restored medieval steps to get official opening

One of Nottingham's most enigmatic historical landmarks is to be officially reopened after a restoration project.

The city was built on two hills, and a network of ancient walkways allowed people to navigate the cliffs and steep slopes for hundreds of years, although some were later destroyed by development.

Long Stairs, in the Lace Market, linked High Pavement with Narrow Marsh, but was shut and partially destroyed when the slum area was cleared in the 1930s.

Over eight years, volunteers, led by heritage campaigner Janine Tanner, raised £20,000 for clearance and safety work, and they will now hold a celebration to mark the opening of the top section of the stairs to visitors.

Tanner had previously said they had good evidence the stairs were at least 500 years old.

They are made of an upper flight of approximately 32 steps, a flat area in the middle and a lower flight that originally had 36 steps.

But demolition damage and years of neglect had left approximately 12 steps on the lower flight, which is now gated off.

Fundraising began in 2018, and a blue plaque and street sign were installed before full-scale restoration began in May 2025.

Peter Smith has volunteered on the project for seven years.

"When we started, there were weeds everywhere, and just keeping them off takes work," he explained.

"When we first came, you couldn't walk down it, it wasn't safe.

"Eight years ago, we couldn't have dreamed it would look like this. It makes us feel proud.

"There isn't a lot of Nottingham's heritage left, so we have to look after what's there."

The open day will allow the public to access the stairs from 14:00-16:00 BST on Sunday, with some of the team available to answer questions.

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