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Abingdon, Oxfordshire Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz on my home town. Many of the questions will be answerable without knowledge of the town.

A multiple-choice quiz by al99. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
al99

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
183,035

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
653

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. There used to be an Abbey in Abingdon. It was destroyed in 1538. Which King of England was responsible for the dissolution of the monasteries? Hint

Henry VIII

Edward VII

Henry II

George IV

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Question 2 of 10

2. Abingdon is in the south of England, between Oxford and Henley. So what river is it on? Hint

The Tay

The Thames

The Clyde

The Tyne

3. Abingdon has many pubs. One of the oldest is the "Kings head and Bell" The king in question is the one reputed to have visited this pub whilst his court was based at Oxford during the civil war. Which king is this? Hint

Charles II

Charles I

Henry I

James

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Question 4 of 10

4. Abingdon also has many churches. The one with the tallest spire is named after the concept of God being three in one. What is it called? Hint

St Helen's Church

The Baptist Church

Trinity Church

Church of our Lady

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Question 5 of 10

5. One of the parks in the town is named after the Prince Consort of the second-longest reigning monarch. What is this park called? Hint

Alfred Park

George Park

Albert Park

Richard Park

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Question 6 of 10

6. In a park by the river there is a statue of the second-longest reigning British queen. Who is she? Hint

Elizabeth I

Alexandra

Victoria

Mary

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Question 7 of 10

7. Abingdon is in Oxfordshire. But it used to be the county town of which other English county? Hint

Middlesex

Berkshire

Sussex

Wiltshire

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Question 8 of 10

8. Abingdon celebrates royal anniversaries by events where the mayor and town councillors throw buns from the top of the town hall.

True

False

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Question 9 of 10

9. There is a street in Abingdon which elects its own mayor.

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. Abingdon has an annual fair held in the Autumn. Now it is purely for entertainment. What was the original purpose of the fair? Hint

Buying and selling of livestock

Entertainment

an employment fair

Buying and selling of goods

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. There used to be an Abbey in Abingdon. It was destroyed in 1538. Which King of England was responsible for the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer: Henry VIII

The Abbey was established in the 7th century. It was destroyed by the Danes in the 9th century and re-established in the 10th century. People from the town looted it in the 14th century, before its final destruction in the 16th century as part of Henry VIII's fight to take power from the church.

2. Abingdon is in the south of England, between Oxford and Henley. So what river is it on?

Answer: The Thames

The Thames flows from its source in the Cotswolds 346 Kilometres until it passes through London before flowing into the sea. The Tay and the Clyde are both in Scotland and the Tyne is in the north of England, where it flows through Newcastle.

Answer: Charles I

Oxford remained loyal to the king during the civil war and Charles I based his court there. There is also a story that the composer Handel may have stayed at the pub after he stormed out of a concert in Oxford and went to Abingdon.

4. Abingdon also has many churches. The one with the tallest spire is named after the concept of God being three in one. What is it called?

Answer: Trinity Church

Before Trinity Church was built the tallest spire in Abingdon was that of St. Helen's church. Trinity deliberately made their spire a little bit taller.

5. One of the parks in the town is named after the Prince Consort of the second-longest reigning monarch. What is this park called?

Answer: Albert Park

Prince Albert was born in 1819 and married the queen in 1840. She was heartbroken when he died in 1861. This park was opened in 1862.

6. In a park by the river there is a statue of the second-longest reigning British queen. Who is she?

Answer: Victoria

Queen Victoria ruled Britain for 64 years from 1837 to 1901. She also became Empress of India in 1876. Her record reign was overtaken by her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 who became the longest-reigning monarch with her reign of 63+ years at that point in time.

7. Abingdon is in Oxfordshire. But it used to be the county town of which other English county?

Answer: Berkshire

The boundaries were changed after local government re-organisation in 1974 and Abingdon became part of Oxfordshire. Reading is now the county town of Berkshire. Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire

8. Abingdon celebrates royal anniversaries by events where the mayor and town councillors throw buns from the top of the town hall.

Answer: true

This is a tradition unique to Abingdon. The first one was held in 1760 to mark the succession of George III to the throne. They are mostly held for coronations and jubilees but recently they have been held for the royal weddings as well as the Queen mothers 100th birthday and the millennium.

The town square fills up with people and everyone tries to catch the buns as they are thrown. It's great fun!

9. There is a street in Abingdon which elects its own mayor.

Answer: true

On the Saturday nearest the 19th June the mayor of Ock Street is elected. Anybody who lives or works in that street is allowed to vote for their own freely elected (mock) mayor.

10. Abingdon has an annual fair held in the Autumn. Now it is purely for entertainment. What was the original purpose of the fair?

Answer: an employment fair

Dating back to the 14th century it was originally a chance for labourers to get employment on farms. The week after the main fair there is another smaller fair called the runaway fair. This is because originally if people were unhappy with the work they had got at the first fair they would run away and try again at the next fair.

Source: Author al99

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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