Birmingham UK Landmarks Trivia Quiz

Answer: A city centre shopping complex

There has been a market on the site of the Bull Ring (nowadays The Bullring) since The Middle Ages (1154 AD). The site has been totally rebuilt twice in the past forty or so years, the latest complex opened its doors to the public in 2003.
The Birmingham ring-road gets called lots of names by motorists; most of them are not printable on this site!

Answer: A motorway intersection

Officially Junction 6 on the M6, Spaghetti Junction opened in 1972 and is one of the busiest intersections in the country: only in aerial photographs can you fully appreciate the tangle of motorways, busy 'A' roads and other minor roads that comprise this concrete and tarmac construction which covers some 30 acres in total.

Answer: An area of the city famous for curry-houses

Situated in the Sparkbrook district of the city, The Balti Triangle contains dozens of curry-houses: it was here that the spicy "Balti" was first created, although there are at least three claimants as to which restaurant had it on their menu first!
The number 11 bus route is called "The Outer Circle".

Answer: A railway station

There are three train stations in Birmingham city centre: New Street is the biggest and busiest with direct connections to most of mainland Britain, Snow Hill and Moor Street are smaller and are mostly concerned with local services. There is an outdoor artificial ski-slope at the Ackers Centre but Birmingham rarely gets enough snow to stage a decent snowball fight!

Answer: A training ground and sports centre

Many generations of police officers have trained and/or played sport at Tally-Ho which is in the Edgbaston area. It is situated adjacent to Cannon Hill Park and Birmingham Nature Centre and across the road from Edgbaston cricket ground; put together they form a huge expanse of grass and parkland only a couple of miles from the city centre.

Answer: A tall cylindrical building

Originally built in the 1960s as an office block, The Rotunda instantly became a recognisable feature of the Birmingham skyline. It was refitted in 2006/7 to provide up-market accommodation for wealthy city dwellers.

Answer: football stadium

Home of Aston Villa Football Club, Villa Park is actually situated in Witton. It is a fine stadium, with a capacity of over 42,000 seats, although as a West Bromwich Albion fan I am reluctant to give too much praise to our old rivals!

Answer: The centre of Birmingham's canal network

Birmingham is different from most other major UK cities in that it does not have a major river. The canals were hugely important in the transportation of raw materials and goods in and out of the city during the industrial revolution. Gas Street Basin was the 'Spaghetti Junction' of its day with several major waterways converging here. With the long decline of canal transport Gas Street Basin became a run-down area. Massive investments in the 1990s have lead to it becoming a thriving area once more with many bars, restaurants and clubs.

Answer: An out-of-town retail park

The Fort shopping complex is built adjacent to the rubber/tyre factory of Fort Dunlop in Erdington, hence its name.
There was a Roman fort in Metchley but little, if any, trace of it remains. The title "oldest pub in Birmingham" is usually claimed by The Old Crown in Digbeth, parts of which date back to 1368 AD.

Answer: An arts and entertainment centre

Bird's custard was made in Birmingham for many years before production was moved to Banbury in the 1960s. The site remained empty for many years until major investment was provided in the 1990s. The building now houses several studios, galleries and performance venues but retains the name The Custard Factory.