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Quiz about Travelling the Canals of Britain

Travelling the Canals of Britain Quiz

Britain has over 2000 miles of navigable canals. It would take a long time to travel them all, but let's see how many we can visit in this quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by revpat. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
revpat

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
347,663

Updated
Oct 09 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
477

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Before we can begin we need a boat. What is the correct term for the type of craft we need to be able to visit most of the canals? Hint

A barge

A long boat

A sailing boat

A narrowboat

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Our journey begins in the West Midlands. Very soon we come to our first lock. This is followed immediately by another then another. Exhausted, we get to the top of the hill and realise that we have come through 30 locks. Where are we? Hint

Standedge

Bridgnorth

Stoke Bruerne

Tardebigge

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. We have been enjoying the peaceful countryside but now we want to visit a city. Which city is said to have more canals than Venice? Hint

Birmingham

Liverpool

Leeds

Bristol

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Now it's time to visit Wales. We are on a very beautiful canal but we realise that we are travelling far above a river valley and there appears to be nothing between the side of the boat and the ground many feet below. Where are we now? Hint

Bwch-Yn-Uchaf

Betws-y-Coed

Cardiff

Pontcysyllte

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. We head back to England and on to the Trent and Mersey Canal. We soon come to a tunnel. This is scary enough, but this tunnel is also said to be haunted. Now where are we? Hint

Hatford

Harecastle

Barnsley

Warren Brook

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. We are getting tired of canals and want to go take our boat onto a river. We head down the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. Which river are we going to? Hint

River Thames

River Mersey

River Severn

River Ouse

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. We decide that the river looks a bit choppy after the smooth water of the canals so we leave our boat moored here and take a trip up to Scotland. We are going to see Neptune's Staircase. What exactly is this? Hint

Steps leading to a view over the canal

A very high bridge.

A staircase of locks

A staircase built of old boats.

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Back in our own boat we take a long journey through several canals to get to London. We travel along the Regent's canal. What famous tourist attraction is found on the banks of this canal? Hint

London Eye

London Zoo

Madame Tussauds

Buckingham Palace

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Tired of the city we decide to visit the oldest canal in Britain. Where should we head to? Hint

Yorkshire

Lincolnshire

Lancashire

Surrey

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. After all this travel on canals we want to learn more about their history. We know that there is a museum about canals at Stoke Bruerne but which canal do we need to be on to visit it? Hint

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal

The Kennet and Avon Canal

The Dudley No.1 Canal

The Grand Union Canal

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Before we can begin we need a boat. What is the correct term for the type of craft we need to be able to visit most of the canals?

Answer: A narrowboat

A typical narrowboat is less than seven feet wide. This enables it to fit the narrow locks on some of the canals.

A barge is generally considered to be a canal boat wider than seven feet.

Canal boats are sometimes referred to as long boats, but this is incorrect. Long boats were used by the Vikings!

Narrowboats can be in varying lengths up to 70 feet, but we need one that is less than 60 feet to fit in all of the locks.

Answer: Tardebigge

We are at Tardebigge on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

The Tardebigge flight is comprised of 30 locks which raise the canal by 220 feet.

They look very impressive but are very hard work for those wanting to take their boats up or down the canal

3. We have been enjoying the peaceful countryside but now we want to visit a city. Which city is said to have more canals than Venice?

Answer: Birmingham

The Birmingham Canal Navigations system once extended to over 160 Miles. By the beginning of the 21st Century this has been reduced to approximately 100 miles and is comprised of 13 individually named canals which are all interlinked.

It is one of the most intricate canal networks in the world.

It does, however, cover Wolverhampton and Dudley as well as Birmingham.

Answer: Pontcysyllte

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct takes the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee valley.

It is 1000 feet long.

The iron trough sits about a foot above the water level and is unprotected on one side giving a view directly to the valley floor 128 feet below.

The tow path though, on the other side, does have a barrier!

5. We head back to England and on to the Trent and Mersey Canal. We soon come to a tunnel. This is scary enough, but this tunnel is also said to be haunted. Now where are we?

Answer: Harecastle

Harecastle Tunnel is nearly 3000 yards long.

The tunnel is said to contain the ghost of Kit Crewbucket, who was murdered and her headless corpse dumped in the canal.

Some boatmen would take a long detour to avoid having to travel through this tunnel.

6. We are getting tired of canals and want to go take our boat onto a river. We head down the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. Which river are we going to?

Answer: River Severn

The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal links the River Severn with the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Stourport, where the canal meets the river, was once the busiest inland port in the Midlands.

Today you can still visit the five canal basins which were built here to cater for all that trade.

A series of locks will take you down into the River Severn.

Answer: A staircase of locks

Sometimes locks open directly into another lock. These are known as staircase or riser locks.

Neptune's Staircase is on the Caledonian canal in Scotland.

It is found near to Fort William and raises boats seventy feet from sea level through eight locks.

8. Back in our own boat we take a long journey through several canals to get to London. We travel along the Regent's canal. What famous tourist attraction is found on the banks of this canal?

Answer: London Zoo

The Regent's Canal goes through the middle of London Zoo.

You can't see any animals from the canal, though you can see a large aviary designed by Lord Snowdon.

There is a gate into the zoo on the canal bank which you can use to enter the zoo, but you will have to buy a ticket.

9. Tired of the city we decide to visit the oldest canal in Britain. Where should we head to?

Answer: Lincolnshire

We need to go to Lincoln.

The Fossdyke was built by the Romans in AD 120.

It joins the River Witham in Lincoln to the River Trent at Torksey.

It is eleven miles long and still in use in the 21st Century.

10. After all this travel on canals we want to learn more about their history. We know that there is a museum about canals at Stoke Bruerne but which canal do we need to be on to visit it?

Answer: The Grand Union Canal

The main line of the Grand Union Canal runs between London and Birmingham.

It is over 130 miles long and has 166 locks.

Stoke Bruerne is in Northamptonshire, near to Towcester.

Source: Author revpat

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
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