Towering over the UK Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea was the man who took Jesus Christ's body after he was crucified. After that he decided it would be a good idea to flee the country and, after many trials and tribulations, it is suggested that he found his way into Great Britain where he was granted a parcel of land in Glastonbury by the King. It was here that legend says he did a couple of incredible things. The first was that he rammed his thorn staff into the earth and from it )sprouted a mighty thorn tree that bloomed at Christmas time and continues to do so. The second is that he built the area's first church.

The legend continues to say that with him came the Holy Grail, the chalice that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Within the Grail were two drops of Jesus' blood taken from his wounded side while on the cross. Joseph is said to have buried the Grail at the foot of Glastonbury Tor and, immediately, a massive torrent of blood gushed from the ground. To add to this, there is a well at the Tor called the Chalice Well and the water that comes from it carries a red/orange tinge, though this is from the high iron content in the well, which rather spoils a good story.

Answer: Blackpool

The amazing Blackpool Tower was built in 1894 and was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This tower contains a staggering five million bricks, utilises 15,000 yards of carpet and it takes seven years to paint the building from top to bottom. Initially it had 10,000 light bulbs installed to illuminate it and, until 1924, it generated its own electricity to power those bulbs. Being very eco-friendly nowadays, these bulbs have since been replaced by 25,000 LED lights.

The ballroom features in the BBC show 'Strictly Come Dancing', with celebrities expressing their desire to dance on the famous floor. I do sometimes wonder if their enthusiasm for visiting Blackpool is exaggerated for the show.

Answer: Bell towers

In the Irish language the name means bell house, and these towers are normally found, as indicated in the photo, in churchyards. Some may have also have been used as watchtowers, but their locations tend not be in places overlooking invasion sites. The towers date from mediaeval times, with internal wooden ladders and a conical stone roof. Most examples are found in the Republic of Ireland, but there are two in Scotland, in Brechin and Abernethy, and one at Peel Castle.

Some modern versions have been built in Belgium, Australia and the USA.

Answer: The devil's tail was wrapped around it

Legends abound about the twisted tower of St. Mary and All Saints Church which, it would be fair to say, would be a rather unremarkable church were it not for its unusual tower. The common story is that it is the work of the devil; one saying that a blacksmith, trying to repair his hoof, drove a nail into the fleshy part and when the devil jumped in pain he brushed the tower and twisted it in the motion. Another says he was sitting on the tower with his tail wrapped around and jumped in surprise when the bell sounded but the tail, still curled around the spire, caused the distortion.

The theory that has been put forward in recent times is that when the tower was first built, all its wooden shingles were coated with lead. During the day the sun would beat down on the south side of the tower causing the lead on that side to heat and expand at a faster rate than the shingles on the north face, creating a twisting movement in the process. The prosaic explanation hasn't stopped the myth being the favoured story, though.

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Martello towers were short, forty foot tall towers, that were built as defensive structures, generally in coastal areas. The British built these from the time Napoleon became the Emperor of France, right across their Empire. In England there were 103 towers built from Sussex across to Suffolk, essentially defending the southern and eastern coasts of the country.

The walls were eight feet thick as a defence against cannon fire and the "fort" held two storeys; the lower for stores and ammunition and the top as living quarters for the garrison.

In 2019, forty seven of the towers remain in England with a number of them restored and converted into museums.

Answer: True

The tower was built during the first five years of the 1870s, commissioned by John Wainhouse, who gave him name to the structure. It is located near Halifax, in West Yorkshire, and has been granted Grade II listed building status. Although meant for industrial use, Wainwright wanted the tower to be visually appealing, so the design is rather more intricate than a standard chimney.

The tower reaches a height of 84 metres (275 feet) with public access being granted to the lower of two viewing platforms on a few days each year. Since it was never used as a chimney, it qualifies as a folly - something which has no practical use, despite resembling something that could be functional.

Answer: Cardiff

The building is located in Cardiff Bay and was originally built, in 1897, for the Bute Dock Company. The building is built from terracotta, giving it a distinctive red colour. The clock, located in the tower, is often described as the 'Big Ben' of Wales - a Welsh version of the one found in London.

Answer: Christopher Wren

The tower gets its name from the bell that it houses, called Great Tom. The tower is above the entrance to Christ Church College, and part of the work, but without the tower, had been started during the time of Henry VIII, the founder of the college. Wren did the design but left the construction in the hands of a trusted craftsman and probably never saw the finished work.

Of the names listed, only Wren was alive at the appropriate time - the others are from much later.

Answer: Horatio Nelson

Calton Hill, a UNESCO Heritage site, situated near the eastern end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh has many monuments including the Nelson Monument (in the picture), the Dugald Stewart Monument, the old Royal High School, the Robert Burns Monument, and the Political Martyrs' Monument.

At the tallest part of the 561 foot (171m) hill stands the Nelson Monument, itself 105 feet (32m) tall providing a magnificent vista of the Royal Mile and indeed the city below, from the viewing gallery 143 steps from the ground floor. The monument was finished in 1815, eight years after commencement to commemorate Nelson's victory over both the French and Spanish fleets at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.

The London version is, of course, Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.

Answer: Portsmouth

This is by far the most modern tower in the quiz. When Portsmouth City Council started a redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour they proposed creating a centrepiece to draw attention to the area and the concept of the Spinnaker Tower was born. Shaped like a ballooning spinnaker to reflect the city's maritime history it is an observation tower that is 560 feet tall. Originally called the Portsmouth Millennium Tower, it opened in 2005 and was renamed the Emirates Spinnaker Tower in 2015 after a sponsorship agreement was reached with Emirates Airlines.