Get me to the church on time! Trivia Quiz

Answer: St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's, with its famous dome, is an iconic landmark in London. It was founded in 604AD and is the cathedral of the Diocese of London. Important services held here include the funerals of Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill, peace services for the end of WWI and WWII, the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer and the commemoration services for the September 11 attacks in the US.

Answer: Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket was a close friend of Henry. The King was frustrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury who insisted that all clergy only be tried by Canonical (Church) Courts, even if the offence was secular. Henry made Thomas Archbishop, but Thomas took his new position seriously and upheld the rights of the Church over those of the king.

Some of Henry's knights, whether following Henry's wishes or not is uncertain, went to the cathedral, broke in and stabbed the Archbishop to death.

Answer: Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral and its monastery were taken over by Henry VIII in 1540, but it was handed back to the former Prior who became the Dean and and twelve monks who became the Canons. Although, unlike other religious buildings, its structure was not destroyed, many historic furnishings and artifacts were lost in the reformist zeal of the time.

Answer: Canterbury Cathedral

During WWII Canterbury Cathedral's beautiful stained glass windows were removed and stored for safe keeping. This was a wise move as the replacement windows were destroyed in German bombing runs. Although there was extensive destruction in the neighbouring countryside and the cathedral library was bombed and burnt in a raid the main part of the cathedral survived intact.

Answer: Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral seems to be a very big church for the size of its town. It was built by Benedictine monks whose only desire was to praise God and they thought that his house must be suitably majestic. The town grew up around it and, as it is situated above the low-lying land of the fens, it looks as if it rides like a ship above its surroundings.

Answer: Exeter Cathedral

Exeter was a very prosperous town and by the 11th century had 30 churches. In 1050 the Bishop of Crediton decided that he would move to Exeter as the town was better protected. He used one of the existing churches as his minster and it was not until 1114 that a nephew of William the Conqueror started to build the Cathedral. Since then it has had a long and turbulent history, including a murder and the resultant hanging of the local Mayor on the day after Christmas in 1285.

Answer: Peterborough Cathedral

Peterborough was first established as a place of worship in 665 when an abbey was there. The abbey was destroyed by Vikings in the 9th century, then rebuilt as a Benedictine Abbey in the 10th century. It was accidently destroyed by fire in 1116. Now only a small section of the Saxon foundations remain as well as some carvings. The rebuilt church is the basis of the cathedral today although there have been additions and alterations in the last 800 years.
Mary, Queen of Scots was re-buried in Westminster Abbey in 1612.

Answer: Magna Carta

In 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta (Great Charter) at Runnymede in which he agreed, both for himself and all his heirs forever, to give all freeman the rights and liberties described in the document. These rights could not be legislated away by later rulers.

When the American Constition was being drafted its writers used the Magna Carta as a basis for the rights enshrined there. In 1957 the American Bar Association erected a memorial at Runnymede acknowledging the debt owed to Magna Carta and to English Common Law.

Answer: 6th June, 1944

The first part of the invasion forces, two Royal Navy mini-submarines, left for Normandy on 2nd June, 1944, and waited underwater to guide the first transporters at Juno and Sword beaches. On 3rd June the US airborne troops were briefed about their target for the first time. By 4th June the weather had deteriorated and it was decided to delay the invasion, which had been supposed to begin on 5th until 6th June.

The next day the weather improved. The first landings took place just after midnight and British airborne troops captured the bridges at Benouville.

It was the beginning of the end of the war.

Answer: Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey was built by Benedictine monks on the banks of the River Thames nearly 1000 years ago. It has been the site of coronations since 1066 and 17 monarchs have been buried there as well as numerous statesmen, writers and other significant people. The monuments, memorial plaques and the documents and archives held there form an important record of English history.