Up Up And Away Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ely

Ely, in the heart of Cambridge's fenland, is built on the highest land in the fens. The cathedral is called the "Ship of the Fens" because of its shape and size. Due to the low lying nature of the surrounding land it can be seen for miles. There has been a religious building on the site since the founding of a monastery in around 673AD. Building on the current cathedral started in 1083 and there have been various additions and renovations over the years. Ely also boasts Cromwell's House Museum, situated in a house occupied by Oliver Cromwell and his family for around ten years, and a local history museum in the old gaol.

Answer: Selkirk

"Broadmeadows" is Scotland's oldest Youth Hostel, opening in 1931. It is just outside of Selkirk, which is one of the oldest settlements in the Scottish Borders. It is also home to Scotland's oldest horse racing track, the Gala Rig. Selkirk grew rich on the wool trade, but once that ceased the population dwindled. William Wallace was proclaimed Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland in Selkirk church, and men from the town fought with him at various battles.

Their worst moment came at Flodden Field when every Selkirk man bar one perished.

Answer: Mount Snowdon

At 1,085 metres above sea level Mount Snowdon is the highest point in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland. It is situated in Snowdonia National Park which is a national nature reserve. Although it is the highest mountain in Wales getting to the top is not that difficult, although you do need to be fairly fit to undertake the walk. There are several paths to the summit as well as a mountain railway. It is one of the peaks climbed in the National Three Peaks Challenge, which is to climb the highest mountain in England, Scotland and Wales. The other two are Ben Nevis (Scotland) and Scafell Pike (England).

Brown Willy is the highest point on Bodmin Moor.

Answer: Cornwall

Situated between St. Austell and Mevagissey, the thousand acre Heligan estate was home to the Tremayne family for over 400 years. At the start of the twentieth century the estate was thriving, but the advent of World War One took many of the staff away from the estate, and it started to fall into neglect.

The house was used as a hospital, and never came back into family ownership. Over the years there were various tenants and the once magnificent gardens were lost under a sea of weeds and brambles.

A hurricane in 1990 exposed part of a lost building, and started the restoration project. This was aided by a grant from the Countryside Commission. Although work is on-going vast areas of the garden have been restored and have been opened to the public.

Answer: Liverpool (Port Sunlight)

Situated on the River Mersey, Liverpool is home to several acclaimed museums and art galleries. As well as the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which has one of the world's largest collections of Wedgwood pottery as well as several Holman Hunt paintings, there is also the Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool has a long maritime history and this is reflected in the International Museum of Slavery. Liverpool was, at one time, a major port for the landing and selling of slaves.
Much of the docks area has been rejuvenated and is now home to bars, cafes and shops.

Answer: The Lake District

Dove Cottage is in Grasmere, on the edge of the Lake District. William Wordworth and his family lived in it from 1799 until 1808, when they moved to a larger property, Allan Bank, still in Grasmere. The cottage is built from local stone, as are many others in the area.

The Lake District is so called because of the many lakes it contains, the most famous of which is probably Lake Windermere. It is a National Park and a very popular tourist destination, especially for walkers and climbers.

Answer: Skye

The old song goes, "Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing, over the sea to Skye". Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides and is dominated by the Cullin Mountains. Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLeod were the main rulers prior to the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries.

It was Flora MacDonald who, after the failure of the Jacobite rebellion, rescued Bonnie Prince Charlie and took him to Skye, from where he made his escape. There is now no need to row to Skye, or indeed even take a ferry, as it has been connected to the mainland by a road bridge.

Answer: Hereford

The Mappa Mundi is housed in Hereford Cathedral, and is thought to date from around 1300. It shows Jerusalem at the centre of the world, and on the various continents are drawings of wild life, biblical events and historical events. It has been described as the most important surviving medieval illustrated document.

Hereford itself has always been an important city, at one time being the Saxon capital of West Mercia, and has had a Bishop since around 676AD. The current cathedral dates from the 12th century.

In addition to the Mapa Mundi it also contains a fine chained library.

Answer: Blackpool Tower

Blackpool Tower is a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. It is just over 518ft high and was opened to the public in 1894. Its ballroom is a mecca for ballroom dance enthusiasts all over the world, and the BBC television series "Come Dancing" was broadcast from there for many years.

It is also home to the Blackpool Tower Circus, which first opened in 1894 and has performed every season since then, although it has not featured performing animals since 1990. The tower is a Grade 1 listed structure.

Answer: York

York was founded by the Romans in 71AD, and was once proclaimed capital of the province of Britannia Inferior. In the post Roman era it was captured by invading Vikings, and they held it until 954AD. Situated where the rivers Ouse and Foss meet meant it was perfectly placed to profit from the wool trade, which made it rich.

It later became a hub of the railway network, and houses the National Railway Museum. It is the capital of the northern province of the Church of England. A lot of the original town walls survive, as do many of the medieval streets. Guy Fawkes, of gunpower plot fame, was born here in 1570 and a blue plaque marks the house.