The Great British Oddities Quiz

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1. 1. How many sides does the Devon house A la Ronde have?
   • A. 20
   • B. 8
   • C. 12
   • D. 16 (answer)
   The National Trust describes the 1796 house built for Jane and Mary Parminter as 16-sided.
2. 2. The Earl of Dunmore’s extraordinary Scottish summerhouse takes the form of which fruit?
   • A. Pomegranate
   • B. Fig
   • C. Pineapple (answer)
   • D. Pear
   The Pineapple at Dunmore is a fruit-shaped architectural folly, reflecting the prestige of exotic produce.
3. 3. What is the stated length of each side of Rushton Triangular Lodge?
   • A. 39 feet
   • B. 33⅓ feet (answer)
   • C. 22⅔ feet
   • D. 30 feet
   English Heritage records three sides of 33⅓ feet, part of the building’s systematic use of threes.
4. 4. Before Hampton Court’s Chocolate Kitchen was identified in 2013, what was stored there?
   • A. Flowers and floristry supplies (answer)
   • B. Sporting equipment
   • C. State documents
   • D. Musical instruments
   Historic Royal Palaces says the room was a flower store full of shelves, pots and vases.
5. 5. According to a Commons disclosure in February 2024, who personally paid for the snuff supplied at the Chamber entrance?
   • A. The Serjeant at Arms
   • B. The Speaker
   • C. The Clerk of the House
   • D. The Principal Doorkeeper (answer)
   The Commons stated that the Principal Doorkeeper maintained the snuff box and paid for ad hoc purchases.
6. 6. What is tested at the centuries-old Trial of the Pyx?
   • A. Parliamentary clocks
   • B. Coronation robes
   • C. Coins (answer)
   • D. Royal seals
   Coins are examined for weight, dimensions and composition. Pyx refers to the boxes holding samples.
7. 7. Successful married couples at the Dunmow Flitch Trials traditionally win what?
   • A. A sack of flour
   • B. A side of bacon (answer)
   • C. A wheel of cheese
   • D. A barrel of ale
   A flitch is a side of bacon. Couples seek to show they have not wished themselves unmarried for a year and a day.
8. 8. Which future US president had an apartment at Culzean Castle in Scotland?
   • A. Dwight D. Eisenhower (answer)
   • B. Franklin D. Roosevelt
   • C. John F. Kennedy
   • D. Harry S. Truman
   Eisenhower’s association with the Culzean apartment is documented in the holdings of their presidential library.
9. 9. Museum Wales holds an 1852 Welsh Not from Pontgarreg School. What did it discourage?
   • A. Singing in lessons
   • B. Writing left-handed
   • C. Missing Sunday school
   • D. Speaking Welsh (answer)
   In some schools, a child caught speaking Welsh wore the token. The practice was not universal.
10. 10. The 18th-century mausoleum in the woods at Blickling Estate has what shape?
    • A. Giant urn
    • B. Classical theatre
    • C. Pyramid (answer)
    • D. Lighthouse
    The Mausoleum Pyramid was designed by Joseph Bonomi in 1796-97.
11. 11. Much of Khadambi Asalache’s intricate decoration at 575 Wandsworth Road was made from what?
    • A. Ivory substitutes
    • B. Reclaimed pine doors and floorboards (answer)
    • C. Whalebone
    • D. Compressed cork
    Asalache transformed salvaged pine into intricate fretwork across much of the modest London house.
12. 12. Charles II hid in the Royal Oak at Boscobel after defeat at which battle?
    • A. Worcester (answer)
    • B. Edgehill
    • C. Marston Moor
    • D. Naseby
    After the Battle of Worcester in 1651, Charles hid in the oak while escaping Parliamentary forces.