Chalk Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beachy Head

Standing at 162m above sea level, Beachy Head is a popular beauty spot for ramblers and dog walkers, with far reaching views along the southern English coastline. It is also a notorious place for people wishing to commit suicide. At the base of the cliff is a 1902 built lighthouse, and way above the cliff face is the 1829 built Belle Tout lighthouse which is now decommissioned.

Answer: Long Man of Wilmington

The Long Man of Wilmington is a 69.2m high chalk figure holding two staves in each hand. It is unclear when the figure was marked although some people believe it was as early as the Neolithic period. Neither is it clear why it was marked. The figure shifts throughout time as the soil moves downhill due to weathering.

The figure was painted green during World War II to avoid enemy aeroplanes from identifying the land. Today it is inlaid with white concrete blocks to make it visible from afar.

Answer: Lulworth

Lulworth Cove is part of the Jurassic coastline which stretches for 95 miles. The coastline was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001 and visitors can see many fossils lining the shoreline. The back of the cove at Lulworth is formed from limestone, clay, greensand and a band of white chalk.

The sheltered beach is full of pebbles. It has a heritage centre which receives just over 400,000 visitors a year.

Answer: Salisbury Plain

Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau and area of outstanding beauty, mainly associated for being home to the prehistoric monument Stonehenge. It has also been a military training area since 1898. The Ministry of Defence owns 150 square miles of the plain which is used for live artillery practice, Apache helicopter training and tank maneuvers.

Answer: Lot's Wife

The story in the bible (King James version) said that God turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt when she looked back at Sodom. The fourth needle thin chalk stack is what gave The Needles their name, and although it disappeared long ago during a storm, the name has stuck ever since.

Answer: The Cerne Abbas Giant

Standing at 55m high, the Cerne Abbas Giant is the largest hill figure in Britain. The naked man wields a club, and it is believed that he once held a cloak in his other arm, making him similar in appearance to the Roman god, Hercules. It is also believed that the figure was carved into the chalk hill during the 17th century.

Answer: Seven Sisters

The Seven Sisters is a row of undulating chalk cliffs which run from Seaford to Eastbourne in East Sussex, including the tallest chalk cliff in the country, Beachy Head. There are seven hills plus an eighth one which was caused by sea erosion. Each peak has a name; Haven Brow, Short Brow, Flagstaff Point, Rough Brow, Brass Point, Flat Hill, Baily's Hill and Went Hill Brow.

Answer: Old Harry and his wife

People used to be able to walk across the promontory to Old Harry before sea erosion took its toll. Because chalk is soft and porous, the start of erosion happened when a cave at the base was formed which got larger over time. The cave eventually became an arch until the roof of the arch weakened and collapsed, leaving two sea stacks behind. Old Harry still survives but his wife was turned from a stack to a stump in 1896.

Answer: Uffington White Horse

Nobody knows why the Uffington White Horse was crafted into the chalk hill. The area is steeped with history, including Neolithic burial mounds, an Ironage hill fort, and a flat top hillock called Dragon's Hill. Local folklore has it that Saint George slew a dragon on top of the hill.

Answer: The White Cliffs of Dover

Travelling by sea from France to England across the English channel at its shortest point, the first thing you see are the towering 110m high, White Cliffs of Dover. They have defended the country against attack for centuries, more so during World War II.

The ferry port at Dover sits snugly between the cliffs, seeing 16 million visitors each year which makes it the world's busiest passenger port.