Hand and Heart

Useful Information

Location:	65-67 Derby Rd, Nottingham (52.95547201245852, -1.1602049755213242)
Open:	All year Thu 16-23, Fri, Sat 12-23, Sun 12-10. [2021]
Fee:	free. [2021]
Classification:	Cellar sandstone
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	n/a
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Hand and Heart, 65-67 Derby Rd, Nottingham NG1 5BA, Tel: +44-115-841-8428.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1866	brewery opened.
2004	pub closed.
2008	pub purchased by Dawn Underdown and renovated.

Description

The Hand & Heart is cave pub which started as a brewery in 1866. At this time it was a Georgian House with stables to the back and a cave below. The stables were converted into a brewery and the beer then lowered through a hole in the ceiling into the cave. Soon after a Victorian front was added and opened as a public house, where the beer was sold. Since then it was a pub, and modernized several times, always according to the Zeitgeist. In the 1960 the roof terrace was covered by glas, in the 1980’s neon light was installed. The pub was finally closed in 2004 and began to decay.

The new life of the pub started when Dawn Underdown purchased the ruin. The whole family worked for six months fully renovating the pub. It was restored to its former glory with antique furnishings. A Victorian dining room with a real wood fire (quite strange in the country of electric fireplaces) and a smoking terrace were added. They sell their own beer, Heavy Handed, a copper coloured bitter, and Light Hearted, a well hopped pale ale. The four cellars are now part of the pub, the restaurant, the cellar, the stairwell and the cosy snug.