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Thomas Hardy Geography Trivia Quiz

Most of Hardy's novels are set in the south of England. He often created fictional place names instead of using the real place names. From the clues given, you are asked to give either Hardy's name for a place or the real name.

A multiple-choice quiz by dino335. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
dino335

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
229,879

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
508

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What name did Hardy use for the area in the South England where most of his novels take place? He got from the name of an old Saxon kingdom. Hint

Sussex

Wessex

Essex

Texas

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Question 2 of 10

2. What is the name of the town, which has the tallest cathedral spire in England, that Hardy called Melchester? Hint

Winchester

Westchester

Dorchester

Salisbury

3. Hardy's novel "The Well Beloved" takes place on the "Isle of Slingers". This "isle" is not really an island, but a stony peninsula that juts into the English channel, where much of the stone to build most of London's best beloved buildings came from. What is the real name of this "isle" that Hardy calls the "Isle of Slingers?" Hint

Isle of Portland

Isle of Prufrock

Isle of Wight

Portsmouth

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Question 4 of 10

4. Casterbridge is a fictional town that appears in "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and also in "Far From the Madding Crowd". It is very close to Maiden Castle and is the county seat of Dorset. What is the real name of this town? Hint

Winterbourne Abbas

Weymouth

Poole

Dorchester

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Question 5 of 10

5. The hill town "Shaston" is one of the settings in "Jude the Obscure". This town features the famously quaint street, Gold Hill Street. The Third Earl of this town was an English philosopher. The Seventh Earl of the town, Lord Ashley, has a statue in his honour in Picadilly Circus. What is the real name of this town? Hint

Stourton

Shaftesbury

Sherborne

Stapleton

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Question 6 of 10

6. In Hardy's "Jude the Obscure", Jude travels to "Christminster", a university town, where he attempts to be a scholar. What is the real name of the town that Hardy calls "Christminster? Hint

Cambridge

Oxford

Bristol

Exonbury

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Question 7 of 10

7. Most editions of the Hardy novels have maps of Wessex. On these maps is a fictional seaside town called "Sandbourne". This town is a major Channel resort in Hampshire, where the Avon empties into the Channel, next to Christchurch. What is the real name of this town? Hint

Bournemouth

Swanage

Weymouth

Brighton

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Also on Hardy's map of Wessex is "Budmouth". This is also an actual place that became a popular seaside resort in Dorset after King George III convalesced there. What is the real name for what Hardy calls Budmouth? Hint

Bournemouth

Weymouth

Lyme Regis

Portsmouth

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. This town was once England's "second capital". There is another famous cathedral there. A pop song was written about the cathedral. What is the real name of the town Hardy calls "Wintonchester"? Hint

Winchester

Christminster

Wellbridge

Wells

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Question 10 of 10

10. What is the name of the town where Thomas Hardy was born and also called home when he wrote "Far From the Madding Crowd"? Hint

Higher Bockhampton

Weatherbury

Milton Abbas

Puddletown

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What name did Hardy use for the area in the South England where most of his novels take place? He got from the name of an old Saxon kingdom.

Answer: Wessex

Wessex comprised mostly Dorset but also Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset.

2. What is the name of the town, which has the tallest cathedral spire in England, that Hardy called Melchester?

Answer: Salisbury

Salisbury was formerly called New Sarum. New Sarum was founded in the 13th century after the bishop quarreled with the captain of the castle of Old Sarum and built a new catherdral a mile away from Old Sarum in what is now Salisbury.

Answer: Isle of Portland

Isle of Portland is where we get "Portland Stone" which was used for many builings in London.

Answer: Dorchester

You can still get a meal at "The Kings Arms" Hotel (at least it was still there in 1988). You will find a statue of Hardy on High Street.

Answer: Shaftesbury

Gold Hill Street was featured in a popular American Express ad in the 1970s in the USA. St Edward the Martyr is buried here.

6. In Hardy's "Jude the Obscure", Jude travels to "Christminster", a university town, where he attempts to be a scholar. What is the real name of the town that Hardy calls "Christminster?

Answer: Oxford

Great book but probably one of the saddest endings ever!

Answer: Bournemouth

Nice beach, lots of hotels.

Answer: Weymouth

You can take the ferry to the Channel Isles from here!

Answer: Winchester

The cathedral is older than Canterbury and the longest in Europe.

10. What is the name of the town where Thomas Hardy was born and also called home when he wrote "Far From the Madding Crowd"?

Answer: Higher Bockhampton

Sorry, ran out of fictonal names. Weatherbury is the village in the book and I can't figure out if was based on a real place or not!

Source: Author dino335

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
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