Showcasing the Shires Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yorkshire

Yorkshire is England's largest county and the only one that has its own geographical region. It was historically divided into four areas named 'ridings', and these remain as areas of civil administration although the east is the only one that still tends to refer to itself as East Riding.

As one might expect over such a large area it has huge geographical differences within its boundaries stretching from the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District and a coast along the North Sea.

Yorkshire pudding is a well-known cooked batter originally eaten with the traditional roast beef dinner or with sausages as Toad in the Hole. It is now often combined with many other flavours to make a variety of dishes both savoury and sweet.

It is named 'Heartbeat Country' after the famous Yorkshire TV program that ran for 16 seasons from 1992 - 2010 and its spin off "The Royal." Other names include James Herriot country, after the famous book and TV series, "All Creatures Great and Small" and Bronte country. Locals have long referred to it as "God's Own Country."

Answer: Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is located in the East Midlands. The county is diverse in its geology with lake plains, sandstone, coal and even an oilfield to the north. The central and southern areas are full of hills and woods.

These include the well-known Sherwood Forest from the legends of 'Robin Hood and his Merry Men' and the Sheriff of nearby Nottingham. The famous 'Major Oak' in the woods is said to be the infamous hiding spot of the outlaws but is known to be much younger.

Nottingham lace is famous throughout the world for its intricate, very delicate designs. Nottingham native William Lee invented the first ever machine to make lace in the 1760s which was a huge economic boost to the county.

It is also world-renowned for the Raleigh Bicycle Company which was founded in 1885 and is still a famous brand today. It has been the bicycle of choice for many competitive cyclists including being used in both the Tour de France and the Olympics.

Answer: Worcestershire

Located in the West Midlands, Worcestershire's main geographical feature is the Malvern Hills which are located on the border with Herefordshire. They have been designated an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and their highest peak is known as Worcestershire Beacon. The rest of the county is dominated with the River Severn and its wide plains.

Its most famous product is Worcestershire (or Worcester) sauce - a fermented savoury sauce which is used in cooking and as a condiment. It was developed by pharmacists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins and first sold in 1837 under the newly formed company Lea and Perrins.

Famous composer Sir Edward William Elgar was born in the county in 1857 and it is known for the 'Elgar Trail' which takes visitors on a tour of areas within the area that are connected to him or his works.

Worcestershire is also known for Worcester porcelain, the Morgan Motor Company and a claim that it was the inspiration for Tolkien's famous shire.

Answer: Lancashire

Lancashire is in the North West region of the country. As another large county it has many geological regions - the Pennines to the east, plains and the Irish Sea to the west, Beacon Fell Park and the Forest of Bowland in the north. The Lancashire coalfields were also spread across the county during the height of the industrial revolution.

Although the collieries were producing huge amounts of coal, the biggest, and most profitable, industries were the textile mills, particularly the cotton mills that sprang up throughout what is now Greater Manchester and creating the major port of Liverpool.

Lancashire Hotpot is a filling meat and potato stew usually made with mutton or lamb. The region is also well known for its black pudding, a local blood sausage, and Eccles cakes, pastries filled with currants and sugar.

Blackpool is a seaside resort on the Irish Sea with miles of amusements along the seafront including Blackpool Tower, the Pleasure Park and three entertainment piers. The Illuminations have been an attraction in the town since 1879. Running from August to November each year they involve the entire 11 km seafront street and attractions lit up with coloured lights and displays.

Answer: Warwickshire

Warwickshire is a flat, lowland county in the West Midlands with coalfields that were prevalent during the Industrial Revolution. The River Avon flows through it and the southern region is part of the famous Cotswolds.

Warwick Castle is an authentic medieval castle that began its life back in 1068 as a wooden fort. William the Conqueror began work on the motte and bailey castle in 1086 to keep control over the midlands. In 1978 the Greville family, who had owned the castle for 374 years, sold it to an entertainment company who refurbished 12 of the rooms with furniture and wax figures and did extensive work on the castle and grounds themselves.

Not far from the castle is Stratford-upon Avon, famous worldwide for William Shakespeare. Visitors can see his birthplace, Nash House where he died, his wife's family home at Anne Hatchway's cottage and Palmers farm, his mother's family home. His daughter and her husband lived in Halls Croft and Holy Trinity Church is where he was baptised, married and buried.

Rugby School is one of the oldest public schools in Britain, opening its doors in 1567. The predecessor of the game of rugby was first played there in the early 19th century and over time became the modern sport as we know it today.

Answer: Wiltshire

Wiltshire, our first county located in the South West, is full of rolling hills and vast plains with the north entering into the Cotswold region again. The county is built on large chalk downs which is what has led to the famous white horses.

They are usually created by cutting away the grass and exposing the chalk which can then be seen for miles. The locals must work to maintain these or they are grown over and become known as 'lost'. There are 15 white horses in England; Wiltshire has eight current and five that have been lost and they have become known as a symbol of the county.

In the centre you will find Salisbury Plain which is home to Stonehenge, a major archaeological site. While Stonehenge is a huge tourist attraction the county is also home to Avebury's three stone circles, one of which is the largest megalithic stone circle in the world.

Longleat is an Elizabethan Manor house owned by the Marquesses of Bath. In 1996 it became the first safari park to open outside of Africa and named 'Longleat Safari Park' but originally became famous as "the Lions of Longleat." It is a major tourist attraction; the home is open to tourists, the drive through park has over 120 species and there is a boat safari, a maze, an adventure park and a miniature railway to name a few.

Answer: Herefordshire

Back into the West Midlands with Herefordshire; a fairly flat country in the centre but it is bordered by the Malvern Hills to the east, the Wye Valley in the south and the Black Mountains in the east.

The land is mostly agricultural in nature which leads to two of its famous exports - Cattle and Cider. Hereford cattle, famous for their red coat and white face, are beef cows. They were first exported in 1817 to Kentucky and there are now over five million in over 50 countries.

The county is also known for its apple orchards, breweries and cider houses; their product is made with 'true' cider apples which provide more tannins with a sharper flavour. The cloudy unfiltered ciders are known in the west as 'scrumpy'. One of the more well-known houses is Bulmers who produce the world famous Strongbow cider.

The Mappa Mundi, a medieval map of the world, is found in Hereford Cathedral. Circa 1300 it is the largest such map still known to exist. A larger map was found in a convent in Ebstorf, Germany but it was destroyed during WWII.

Answer: Leicestershire

Moving over to the East Midlands we have Leicestershire which is mostly lowland country with the new National Forest to the northwest. The Southwest contains the geographical centre of England.

Stilton cheese has both a blue and white variety and they are protected products - under the EU rules it can only be produced in Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire. As of 2016 only six dairies are licenced to make Stilton and three of these are in Leicestershire.

Melton Mowbray porkpies are also a protected geographical product. Their production was related to the cheese production as the whey was an excellent food for pigs so pork became a common meat. The pies were originally were made for working men to eat the pork and throw the casing away. Then, in the 18th century, the county became the capital of fox hunting and the hunters saw their grooms eating the pies and realised they could easily be eaten on horseback. They were then redesigned for the pastry to be edible and bonestock jelly was added after cooking to keep the pies warm.

Richard the III was the last of the Kings of York, and the last English king to die in battle. This final battle of the War of the Roses took place in Leicestershire and his body was taken by a community of monks to their church and buried. The Monastery was demolished during the reformation and his body disappeared until 2012 where it was discovered under a car park. After verification the remains were re-interred at Leicester Cathedral.

Answer: Staffordshire

Staffordshire, in the West Midlands, contains the Cannock Chase and National Forrest to the south and the beginning of the Pennines with the Peak District National Park to the north.

In 1720 a local potter called John Astbury added heated ground flint to the local red clay and created a creamy white pottery - this was the beginning of an industry that has provided ceramics to such firms as Moorcroft, Davenport, Twyford, Wedgewood, Spode and Royal Doulton to name a few. Six towns in north Staffordshire became the centre of this industry and this area is known as 'the Potteries'.

Alton Towers Resort was opened in 1980 and is a both a theme park and resort. It includes the theme park itself with a huge range of attractions, a spa, miniature golf, a water park and the hotel complex.

The Staffordshire bull terrier, often called a staffy, was bred from bull terriers and bulldogs. It created what is now known as a purebreed dog in the terrier class. They were originally bred for bull and bear baiting and then used against each other to fight. Once these were outlawed the staffy become a loyal family pet.

Answer: Cheshire

Back to the North West with Cheshire which is mostly covered by a boulder clay area known as the Cheshire Plain. The east leads to the Pennines and the Peak District and to the west is the Wirral Peninsula.

The city of Chester has the most complete medieval town walls in Britain. They began construction in approximately 76 AD as a defensive measure by the Romans and still measure nearly 2 miles in length. The walls are made from a distinctive purple-grey sandstone and are not only Grade I listed but are also recognised as a Scheduled Monument.

The county sits atop underground deposits of rock salt and the mining of it began in Roman times. The salt mines were a huge boost to the economy for many years as it was used in tanning, food preservation and other industrial processes. British Salt still mines the area to this day.

Lewis Carroll was born in Cheshire in 1832 and much of his famous novel, "Alice in Wonderland", and its, "Through the Looking Glass," are inspired by the Cheshire countryside. The Cheshire cat, however, predates the books.

It is known that the phrase "grinning like a Cheshire Cat" was used in the 18th century. The exact origin is unknown but one theory is that Cheshire had so many dairy farms to supply cream and milk that all the cats were grinning and happy there.