A West Country Odyssey Trivia Quiz

Answer: Smallpox

Jenner was a physician in Berkeley, a market town in the southern part of Gloucestershire. He realised that milkmaids who caught cowpox developed an immunity to the then deadly disease of smallpox. Although he was not the first man to understand the link, Jenner developed a vaccine that proved effective in protecting against smallpox and is generally recognised as the 'father of immunology'. The vaccine, dating from 1796, has been much changed since but is, historically, the earliest to be created.

Vaccines against typhoid fever and anthrax date from the nineteenth century, (almost a hundred years later), while the one against diphtheria dates from 1923.

Answer: Wells

Wells derives its name from the holy wells nearby which are dedicated to St Andrew. Wells is a popular tourist destination due to its location near to the Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge. Visitors are also attracted to its cathedral, which is what gives it its city status, and which also bears the name of St Andrew. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and dates from the twelfth century.

The city's coat of arms depicts the three wells in red with an ash tree and bears the motto 'Hoc Fonte Derivata Copia' , which translates as 'The Fullness That Springs From This Well'.

Answer: Dorset

The film version of the novel by John Fowles starred Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. It follows two different timelines, one set in Victorian times and the other in the present day where two actors are recreating the Victorian love affair. Streep and Irons play both the original characters and modern day equivalents.

Many parts of the story are set in Lyme Regis which is on the south coast of Dorset, part of what is known as the Jurassic Coast due to the large number of fossils found there. Its harbour wall, called The Cobb, is the setting for various scenes in the film, especially showing Streep's character gazing mournfully towards the sea.

Answer: Hereford

The original members of the band were Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Dale 'Buffin' Griffin and Pete Overend Watts. The band came close to splitting up before David Bowie, a fan of the group, gave them one of his songs to record - this was 'All the Young Dudes', which became a big hit for them in 1972.

They embraced the 'Glam rock' era (search for pictures online to see them in all their glory) and went on to further success with 'All the Way from Memphis' (1972) and 'Roll Away the Stone' (1973).

Answer: Red deer

Exmoor lies in north Devon and the western part of Somerset and was designated as a National Park in 1954. It is a high moorland with steep hills which lead down to the coastal areas. Exmoor is particularly known for the sturdy ponies which roam the moor - most of them are now privately owned rather than wild. There is a large population of red deer on Exmoor, said to be the most numerous in England at around 3,000 to 4,000 in total. Scotland has more.

Although there are some wild boar on Exmoor, mostly escapees, they are not numerous - Gloucestershire's Forest of Dean has far more. There are sheep on the moors, but they are farm animals and badgers live there too, but aren't very visible.

Answer: Winston Graham

The first four 'Poldark' novels were published between 1945 and 1953, and covered the return of Ross Poldark to his Cornish home. The family saga was set against a tin mining background and had various romantic entanglements. After a long break, Graham wrote another eight novels, published between 1973 and 2002. They continued the stories of the original characters, progressing to the lives of their children.

The stories have been adapted for television twice, with the original series running from 1975 until 1977 with a remake appearing in 2015 and finishing in 2019.

Winston Graham wrote numerous other novels, with 'Marnie', published in 1961, being turned into a film by Alfred Hitchcock three years later.

Answer: Ski jumping

I use the term 'competed' loosely as Edwards finished last in both the 70 metre and 90 metre jumps while the competitors one place above him scored around double his points in both. His real first name is Michael with 'Eddie' relating to his surname. The 'Eagle' nickname was somewhat ironic but, in fairness, not many of us would have the courage to ski down an icy hill and jump off the end into space, so kudos to Eddie for giving it his best.

Answer: Sedgemoor

The Monmouth rebellion is nothing to do with the town of that name in Wales. Its name comes from the leader of the uprising, the Duke of Monmouth, James Scott, who was attempting to depose James II, successor to his brother, Charles II. Charles was the father of Monmouth by one of his mistresses, Lucy Walter. James II was Catholic which was the main reason for the rebellion, although Monmouth's claim, as an illegitimate son, was weak.

The Battle of Sedgemoor was fought in July 1685 on a site near Bridgwater, and led to a final defeat, although Monmouth initially escaped. He was captured, found guilty of treason and executed by beheading on Tower Hill. Sources say it took several blows, the number quoted varies, to finish the Duke off.

Answer: Corfe

Corfe Castle dates originally from the eleventh century although the main part is a little more recent, with changes being made in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It was slighted (deliberately damaged) during the English Civil War and only ruins remain in the twenty-first century. Owned by the National Trust, the castle is open to visitors and is a protected structure as a grade I listed building and historic monument.

Dunster Castle is in Somerset, Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire and Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, is located in Cornwall.

Answer: David Mitchell

Salisbury is in Wiltshire and is home to England's tallest spire, part of its Gothic cathedral. The city is situated between Bath and Southampton and is close to Salisbury Plain, where Stonehenge is located.

David Mitchell was born there in 1974 and has made his name primarily as a comedian, appearing in television programmes such as 'Peep Show', with long term collaborator Robert Webb, from 2003 to 2015. He also appeared as William Shakespeare in 'Upstart Crow' from 2016 to 2020. 'Ludwig', which had its first series in 2024, is more of an acting role with David portraying a crossword compiler who becomes involved in solving crimes.