The Cream of Cornwall Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tintagel

Tintagel castle, high on the cliffs above the town, is the legendary birthplace of King Arthur of round table fame. If you can manage the very steep climb to the ruined castle the views are truly magnificent. The whole of Tintagel is steeped in the Arthur legend. King Arthur's Hall, built in the 1930s as the headquarters of the Order of The Fellowship of The Knights of The Round Table it has stained glass windows with tales from the legend of King Arthur as well as many paintings showing similar scenes.

The building of the Old Post Office dates back to the 14th century, it became a Post Office in Victorian times. It is a Grade 1 listed building and is now owned by the National Trust.

Answer: Bodmin Moor

The Hurlers, on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor, consist of three stone circles and two monoliths a short distance away which may once have formed an entry point. They get their name from a legend which says they were a group of men who, on a Sunday, were playing hurling rather than going to church. They were transformed into stones as a punishment. Investigations have suggested there may once have been a fourth circle, but no stones from it remain.

Bodmin Moor is a truly beautiful place, there are many walks across it, but it can be treacherous. Fog can come down very quickly leaving walkers disorientated and there are areas of bog to watch out for.

Answer: Museum of Witchcraft

Boscastle has a Museum of Witchcraft that has tools of the craft, paintings, magical artifacts, anything to do with witchcraft will have a home there, including some items that are said to move on their own overnight. There are reputed to be several active covens in and around the Boscastle area.

In August 2004 Boscastle suffered a devastating flood when the river that runs through the village turned into a raging torrent due to heavy rain run off from the surrounding hills. Cars were swept away into the harbour, people had to be rescued from roof tops. Amazingly there were no casualties although some buildings had to be demolished and rebuilt. Such is the affection for this village from people that have visited that, before any official disaster fund was set up, unsolicited donations to help the villagers poured in from all over the world.

Answer: So the devil has no corners to hide in

Veryan is situated on the Roseland Peninsula, and is a popular tourist destination. Much of the appeal lies in the round houses, of which there are five in total. Legend says they were built in this fashion so that the devil had no corners in which to hide, and the crosses on the top are also designed to keep the devil away. This is purely anecdotal, there is no written evidence for this.

About a mile from Veryan is Carne Beacon, which is reputed to be the burial place of the Cornish King Gerrenius. Folklore says a golden boat with silver oars which was used to transport his body lies in the mound, but there is no archeological evidence for this.

Answer: The 'Obby 'Oss

The 'Obby 'Oss (or Hobby Horse) is a celebration of the coming of summer that probably dates back to Celtic times. It starts with singing at midnight on first of May, and by daylight the town is decorated with greenery and flags and a maypole has been erected. Two groups of dancers, each with an 'Oss, the Old 'Oss and the Blue Ribbon 'Oss, then parade around the town. Each 'Oss head has a mask on, and then a long black cape under which are several young men who try to catch young women as they make their way along. Alcohol is consumed by both participants and watchers and things can get a little rowdy. Festivities culminate at the maypole where both 'Osses will often come together and dance.

Answer: China clay pit

The Eden Project is a short distance from St. Austell, which is famed for the china clay found in the area. Old china clay pits are not an especially attractive landscape, and in 1998 the concept of building bio-domes to house a diversity of plants from all over the world was conceived.

It took two and a half years to complete and welcomed the first visitors in 2001. Since then it has become one of the area's major tourist attractions and it is hard to believe that the site was once no more than a big scar on the landscape.

Answer: Elizabethan

Trerice Manor is a beautiful Elizabethan manor house that has been hardly touched in respect of building works since around 1570, when the bulk of the E wing was added by Sir John IV Arundell, High Sheriff of Cornwall. In comparison to many other manor houses of the same period it is not that large, but has a delightful air of tranquility and intimacy that is missing from grander establishments.

The old orchard features many varieties of apple tree that cannot now be found elsewhere. It has been under the care of the National Trust since 1953.

Answer: Benedictine

St. Michael's Mount was given to the Benedictine's by Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. Prior to that it may have been used as a port for the tin trade. After the dissolution of the monasteries it had a chequered history, but was eventually bought by Colonel John St. Aubyn in 1659, and it remained in the St. Aubyn family until 1954, when most of it, complete with an endowment fund, was given to the National Trust. However, this was on condition that the St. Aubyn family had a 999 year lease to live in the castle and manage the opening of the castle to the public.

At low tide it is possible to walk across a causeway to the castle from Mount's Bay. At high tide it is a short boat ride away, however, sometimes a strong stomach is needed as the seas around the island can become quite rough.

Answer: Seals

Starting with a single pool in 1958 the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek has become the national centre for seal rescue. They take in injured or abandoned grey seal pups with the aim of getting them back to fitness to go back to the wild. Unfortunately some injuries are such that this is not always possible so there are some permanent residents at the centre that can never be returned.

They will however have a home at Gweek for the rest of their natural lives. They take in around forty pups each year, and have an impressive record. Between 1981 and 2013 only four pups were unable to be released back to the sea.

Answer: Spires

Truro has three spires, and with Lichfield Cathedral and St, Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, makes up the only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom to have this feature. Lincoln Cathedral originally had three spires, but the central one collapsed in a storm back in 1549, and was never rebuilt.

Truro is the administrative centre of Cornwall, and the only city in the County. It was granted city status in 1877 by Queen Victoria. The cathedral, built in the Gothic Revival style, was completed in 1910. Much of the early prosperity of Truro came from tin, many wealthy mine owners lived there. Despite the decline of the mining industry it remained prosperous, becoming a retail centre and, of course, a centre for the tourist industry.