This is Yesterday Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a ring of standing stones that was assembled probably sometime between 3000 and 2000 BC. Each stone is about 13 feet tall and 7 feet wide and weighs about 25 tons. Under the care of the English Heritage Trust, Stonehenge was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

Many questions abound about how people with a Neolithic level of technology were able to construct Stonehenge. There are also many questions about the purpose of Stonehenge.

Answer: Hadrian

Hadrian's Wall stretched 73 miles from the North Sea to the Irish Sea. Depending on which part of the wall you are viewing, it stood between 11 and 20 feet high and between 10 and 20 feet wide. With fortifications spaced slightly less than five miles apart, the wall may have served economic purposes with the collection of customs at the gates. Large portions of the wall still stand today.

The wall was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Answer: Oxford

St. Michael's at the North Gate was built in Oxford in the early 11th century with the tower (built about 1040) still standing. There are 97 steps to climb to get to the top of the tower and an admission fee is charged. Much of the rest of the church has been rebuilt or heavily renovated over the years. The tower of Oxford Castle dates from about the same time period.

Answer: William the Conqueror

William I (or the Conqueror) ruled England from 1066 to 1087. The White Tower was constructed in 1078. Additions to the complex under the rule of several monarchs including Richard I (or the Lionheart) extended the size of the complex until it reached its current size of about 18 acres (if the Tower Liberties, cleared land surrounding it, is included).

The Tower of London was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The Tower has been a popular tourist destination for hundreds of years, attracting about half a million visitors yearly by the late 1800s.

Answer: Lincoln

The Lincoln Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln or St. Mary's Cathedral. Like many medieval churches and cathedrals it was built over generations with the ground consecrated in 1092 and the cathedral completed in 1311.

The central spire of the cathedral stood 520 feet tall, about 40 feet higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza. A storm destroyed the spire in 1549 and it was not rebuilt. At one time, the cathedral held one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta.

Answer: Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace, located on the outskirts of London, was begun by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1515. The palace was seized in 1529 by Henry VIII after the cardinal fell out of his favor. Although large portions of the exterior retain the Tudor style, large portions of the interior were remodeled during the later reigns of William III and George II. Today the palace is a popular tourist attraction.

The other palace of Henry VIII that still survives--St. James Palace.

Answer: Downton Abbey

"Downtown Abbey" (2010-2015) ran for six seasons and fifty-four episodes. Many scenes were filmed in the great hall and several bedroom on-location as well as many exterior shots. Highclere Castle is located in Hampshire on a 5,000 acre estate. It was first built in 1679 but underwent significant remodeling in the 1840s when an Italian Renaissance style was emphasized over the original Jacobethan style.

Answer: Big Ben

The clock tower is located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, the meeting location for Parliament. The official name for the clock tower is the Elizabeth Tower, so re-named for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. The tower was completed in 1859 and stands 315 feet tall. Big Ben, officially known as the Great Bell weighs 13.5 tons, stands seven feet six inches tall and is nine feet in diameter.

The clock tower is widely considered one of the most iconic locations in all of London.

Answer: The Eiffel Tower

Blackpool Tower was completed in 1894 and stands 518 feet tall. It is part of a larger tourist complex that includes an aquarium, cafeteria, and ballroom. When the tower was first opened, the admission to the tower was six pence plus another six pence to take the elevator to the top.

The builders of the tower were inspired by the Eiffel Tower as viewing a photograph of the tower made clear (at least to me). Blackpool Tower cost 290,000 pounds to build (in 1890s money).

Answer: The Shard

The Shard stands 1,014 feet tall and at the time of its construction it was the tallest building in the United Kingdom. Shaped like a elongated glass pyramid, the tower was described by English Heritage as "a shard of glass through the heart of historic London". Though there are 95 stories to the building, the main observation area is located between the 68th and 72nd stories.