Moor England Questions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bodmin Moor

The Hobhouse Report recommended the creation of twelve National Parks in England and Wales. Ten of these were created in the decade following the passing of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, including Dartmoor, Exmoor and the "North York Moors".

The two which followed were the New Forest (which became a National Park in 2005), and the planned South Downs. Bodmin Moor was not one of the recommended areas in the original report.

Answer: Bodmin Moor

Not only is Brown Willy the highest point of land on Bodmin Moor, it is also the highest point of land in the whole of Cornwall at 1,350 feet above sea level. The Ordinance Survey triangulation marks this as 420 meters. From the top, both the north and south coasts of Cornwall may be viewed, but it is not a place to go in wind or fog.

Answer: Dartmoor

Widdicombe in the song is correctly Widecombe-in-the-Moor on Dartmoor. Widecombe Fair has been held since the middle of the 19th century. Widecombe is also visited for its church, dedicated to St Pancras, which is called by some the 'Cathedral of the Moor'.

A title also used by St Noona is Altarnun Church on Bodmin Moor. Neither of these are cathedrals, but they are larger than normal for a village church in the wilds of the West Country.

Answer: Exmoor

In 1952, after a wet summer, Exmoor was totally saturated. Exmoor is drained by few rivers, as most of the water heads to the north coast of Devon which is very hilly. One of the few gaps in the cliffs is at Lynmouth where the East and West Lyn rivers meet.

On this occasion in 1952, the volume of water overwhelmed the rivers and washed away many of the town's buildings. Thirty-four people died, including a six-month-old baby and one victim who was never identified. Since then, the rivers have been dug ten feet deeper and are said to be able to withstand three times the amount of water.

A similar near-tragedy (but fortunately no deaths) occurred in 2004 in the north Cornish village of Boscastle. Again, a large quantity of water descended several rivers, funneling into one small outflow to the sea.

Answer: Princetown

The prison was originally built to house prisoners of war, but in the middle of the 19th century was reopened for the incarceration of the criminal classes.

Princetown sits high on the moor at an altitude of over 1300 feet. This is claimed to be the highest town on the moor.

The railway, which closed in 1956, is supposed to have been at a record altitude for mainlines in England. Certainly the railway and station would have been at a greater altitude than the highest of the English railways at the end of the 20th century. The railways are part of the Settle to Carlisle line.

The highest point on Dartmoor, though, is High Willhays Tor, which reaches a height between 2035 and 2040 feet (depending the source consulted).

Note: Using mapping software, I found a point at 2037ft at map reference SX 58000 89401.

Answer: Saddleworth Moor

Moors have traditionally been seen as wild and desolate places, and their reputations have been maintained even in modern times.

Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, collectively known as the 'Moors Murderers', are known to have murdered five children aged between 10 and 17 in the early 1960s. Four of the bodies were discovered buried on Saddleworth Moor, near Manchester, while the fifth was never found.

Answer: Kinder Scout

By the 1930s, public footpaths in England were often no longer open to the public. In protest at the exclusion of the general public from the moors, mountains and hills, mass demonstrations were organised. One of the more memorable was the 1932 mass trespass on Kinder Scout.

Trespass being a civil--not a criminal--offence, the people involved could not be arrested merely for being there. The protest is also recalled in the song "The Manchester Rambler" by Ewan MacColl.

Answer: Birkhouse Moor

Birkhouse Moor is a plateau about half a mile wide by three quarters of a mile long, between the valleys of Glenriding and Grisedale. Willy Wife Moor is to the west of Helvellyn, forming the southwestern shoulder of Dollywagon Pike. Maiden Moor and Caudale Moor are also in the Lake District, but not near Helvellyn.

Answer: Marston Moor

Marston Moor was the site of fighting between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. The Royalists, under Prince Rupert, were endeavouring to relieve the siege of York. The result was a victory for the Parliamentarians and a certain Oliver Cromwell made a good showing as a cavalry commander there.

Sedgemoor is in Somerset and was the site of a battle in 1685. No historical records exist of any battles at Aisgill Moor or Old Ing Moor, although both are in Yorkshire.

Answer: Blea Moor

By the end of the 20th century, and on into the 21st century, the scenic Settle to Carlisle line held several altitude records. These included: highest point on the English mainline railway network (Aisa Gill) and the highest station (Dent).