Rouse’s Sand Mine (Peel Street Caves) is the largest of Nottingham’s four remaining sand mines. Situated to the west of Mansfield Road the mine is 200m from end to end. It is thought that the mine was in use from around 1780 to 1810. However it is possible that the mine was worked from an even earlier date, acting as a direct source of sand for a nearby glass works which was in operation until 1760. The mine was forgotten until about 1892 when the caves became a tourist attraction, ‘Robin Hood’s Mammoth Cave’. A map of 1844 shows a number of properties on Mansfield Road. Some of these have basements cut into the sandstone which open out into the sand mine. In the Second World War the caves were used as air raid shelters. Two new entrances and associated tunnels were cut, lighting fitted and blast walls were added. The caves are now owned by Nottingham City Council and are not generally accessible
