Out and About in the United Kingdom Quiz

Answer: 8m

With an age of approximately 3000 years, the stone was brought from the Cleveland Hills, about 40 miles from Rudstone - not so far, until you consider that the stone goes as far under the ground as it does above and transporting it must have been an enormous feat, not to mention the effort of getting it placed.

It's about 5m around at ground level, and made of conglomerate. No, it wasn't the first ever mobile phone tower - and not a giant surfboard!

Answer: Captain James Cook

James Cook was born in a town about 30 miles from Whitby and as a youngster worked in the small fishing town of Staithes. From there he went to Whitby where he learned the craft of seafaring; this is where the Endeavour was built.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1755, just before the Seven Years' War. He mapped the coast of Newfoundland and gained a reputation for skills in surveying. He was hired by the Royal Society to travel and document the transit of Venus in 1766. After travelling to Tahiti, he mapped the New Zealand coastline, and then reached the south-east coast of Australia in 1770. He was stabbed to death in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779.

Answer: Little Ben

First erected near Victoria Station, this clock tower is a nine-metre-high scale model of A. W. N. Pugin's Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament. Little Ben was removed in 1964, but was restored in 1981, in celebration of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding, and erected in its current location at the junction of Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street.

Technically the Elizabeth Tower, the Big Ben clock-tower at the Houses of Parliament accommodates the huge Big Ben bell. Sorry it's a narrow view - I had to cut out a lot of people in the picture to comply with FunTrivia photo rules!

Answer: Rhubarb

The rhubarb forcers provide an early crop of rhubarb as it reaches for the light. The forcers also have the effect of producing longer and blanched stems and reduces the size of the leaves. This technique can be employed using covers other than the decorative pots we saw at Harlow Carr.

Apart from the kitchen garden area, the Harlow Carr centre has numerous sections including woodland, a scented garden, an Alpine house, and the Queen Mother's Lake. The path leads from one 'room' to another, and the garden is planted in such a way as to encourage wildlife; it's a charming and tranquil haven.

Answer: Methodism (John Wesley)

Founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley was born in Epworth, in England, the fifteenth child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley.

The picture is of Wesley's Chapel, located on City Road, London. He spent many days and weeks on horseback, preaching the Gospel all around the country. A prominent abolitionist, he was good friends with Josiah Wedgewood, also a Christian and staunch abolitionist. A huge teapot, presented to Wesley by Wedgewood, resides in the home of Wesley, preserved next to the Methodist Church that is considered the home of Methodism.

Answer: Cheese

Neal's Yard Dairy was established in the early 1980s, starting life as a microdairy in Neal's Yard in Covent Garden and with a mission to improve British and Irish cheeses. They sell a range of cheeses made by dairies across the country, each one selected for particular making methods and styles. We were able to taste the cheese before we bought them (and, yes, we bought a few!) and ended up looking out for Neal's Yard Dairies wherever we went.

Answer: Pontefract cake

Also known as Pomfret Cakes, Pomfrey Cakes and Yorkshire Penny, these coin-shaped 'cakes' were first developed in the town of Pontefract, a central place in the liquorice growing area of the north-east part of England. Mum and I bought a jar and eked them out - they were really delicious and easy to eat too many at one sitting! At the time they were first developed, sugar wasn't freely available, and my guess is that's why the cakes are modest in size.

There's not much left of Pontefract Castle, and maybe that's a good thing. It was the site of many deaths, and it's thought that Richard II was either starved to death there, or otherwise murdered. It's possible to get a glimpse of the tiny, damp dungeons and even on a sunny afternoon, it's a sobering experience. The whole complex was once huge, though only portions remain; the view of the surrounding district from the mound is stunning. One of the really nice things about the place is the herb garden being developed there, which has numerous herbs that would have been available at the time the portion of the castle was newly constructed.

Answer: John of Gaunt

Saxon Hugh Swynford was born around 1340 in Lincolnshire and died in 1371 as a result of his military service. He had married Katheriene de Roet in around 1362 (the date is speculative) and they had three children. However, the marriage was not particularly happy - Hugh was in his early 20s and Katherine was about 12. Hugh was a vassal of John of Gaunt, who owned huge swathes of England, and he kept getting sent off to war; Katherine was widowed at 21.

Katherine became the mistress of John of Gaunt and bore him four children, later legitimised upon the marriage of Katherine and John. John Beaufort, their eldest child, was 1st Earl of Somerset and his great-grandson was Henry VII of England. Katherine's sister, Philippa, was the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Answer: Chapel

The bridge was most likely built in the 13th Century, and this grade 1 listed structure is a fine example of the historical thread that runs through the area. It's uncertain when the chapel was first built, and the building that is currently on the site probably replaced an earlier building.

Another great site in Bradford-on-Avon is the amazing 14th century tithe barn complex. It was amazing to stand inside a huge empty space and imagine it full of goods. Visit the diminutive Saxon church while you're there, too; you'll be amazed at the perfection of it. And look for the enormous tri-colour beech that stands guard over it. It's magnificent!

Answer: John Bunyan

Bunyan was born in Bedfordshire in 1628, serving in the Puritan Revolution and marrying Elizabeth in 1649. He had a religious experience of some sort and became a dedicated follower of Christ. He was a non-conformist however, and once the monarchy was restored in 1660 he was sent to prison for lengthy periods of time as his teachings were contrary to those of the Anglican church. Nonetheless, he wrote numerous books, the most important of which is, of course, the allegorical tale of a humble man's journey to heaven. It is said to be the second most read Christian text, after the Bible.

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground houses the graves of William Blake, Daniel Defoe, Isaac Watts and Susanna Annesley Wesley, mother to John, Charles and Samuel Wesley. She was the mother of 16 other children, too, most of whom did not survive childhood.