Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. About 18 miles past Yeovil the A30 comes to the small Somerset town of Chard. It's been a quiet place for over a millennium, known mainly for its textile and lace industries, but one day in 1685 something remarkable happened there when a man was declared King of England. Who was this rebellious person?
2. A few miles past Chard the A30 and the A303 are reunited and the A30 continues on to Honiton in beautiful Devon. The town is famous for one particular industry that was introduced by Flemish immigrants in the late 16th century; it employed thousands of people in the town and was patronised by royalty. What product was produced by all these people?
3. Another dozen or so miles and the A30 arrives at Exeter. It's a Roman city with a beautiful cathedral and an average football club, Exeter City FC, founded in 1901. In 1914 the club went on a foreign tour during which they became the very first opponents of a new international side. It's a bit of a nutty question, but which country's team did they play?
4. Exeter also has a very good university - and I'm not saying that simply because I went there! One building that has appeared on the main university campus since I was there is a museum dedicated to the history of cinema, named after a Scottish film director (1934-1991) famous for a trilogy of films about his early life. Can you name this virtuoso film maker?
5. The A30 leaves Exeter and heads west, skirting the high northern edge of Dartmoor in sight of Yes Tor and High Willhays (both over 2,000 feet). Crossing the River Tamar and then carrying on through Launceston it climbs onto Bodmin Moor, passing a pub made famous by a 1936 novel by Daphne du Maurier. What's the name of this pub?
6. After crossing Bodmin Moor and by-passing the town of Bodmin, the A30 goes over Hensbarrow Downs to the north of St Austell. This area is massively disfigured by white spoil heaps from quarries and pits - what mineral is being extracted?
7. After going through Redruth and Camborne the A30 curves to the south-west to reach the sea at Marazion. Looking out to sea you can see an island in the bay crowned with what looks like a church. What's the name of this island?
8. Approaching Penzance, the area to the north of the town is notable for the large number of old mine workings and buildings. One particular metal has been mined at these sites for hundreds of years - can you name it?
9. And so we come to Penzance, the last sizeable town in western England. There's a nice little harbour there, and you can get on a boat and two hours and 45 minutes later be on one of the most beautiful islands you'll ever see. What's the name of this island?
10. At last the A30 come to its final destination, Land's End. So from its eastern end at Hounslow to its western end at Land's End, how long is the A30?
Source: Author
Southendboy
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
stedman before going online.
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