The Yorkshire Dales National Park: How did you do?

If you don’t want to know the answers, look away now! You can have a go at the quiz yourself here. Otherwise, read on…

1. Can you give the common name of the flower in the picture? (1 point)

Answer: Early purple orchid (Orchis mascula)

It is usually a magenta colour, but sometimes has white or pale pink flowers. The leaves are shiny with dark blotches. It is one of the first orchids to flower and can be seen at its best in April, May and June. It will live in a variety of habitats, usually on neutral to alkaline soils, and in the Dales can be found in hay meadows, pastures, woodland, and roadside verges, amongst other places.

2. Which of the following is NOT an alternative name for the plant in question 1? (1 point)

A. Goosey ganders
B. Adder’s meat
C. Adam and Eve
D. Kite’s legs

Answer: C

Adam and Eve is an alternative name for the common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhizafuchsii)

3. Can you identify these water bodies? (1 point each)

Which is the odd one out? (1 point)

Answer:

A. Semerwater
B. Malham Tarn
C. Grimwith Reservoir

The odd one out is C. Grimwith reservoir. 

Semerwater and Malham Tarn are the only natural lakes left in the Yorkshire Dales. Grimwith Reservoir was built between 1856 and 1864 by Bradford Corporation Waterworks.  It was then expanded in the 1960s. The top level of the water was raised by 20 metres and the whole area increased to 1,150 hectares, making it the largest expanse of inland water in Yorkshire.

Malham Tarn is said to be the highest natural limestone lake in the country, although it was expanded by Lord Ribblesdale in 1791 to make it larger and deeper.

4. We have many volunteers helping us to do a huge variety of tasks throughout the National Park.

In the financial year 2018/2019, how many days’ work did they contribute? (1 point)

A. 4,693
B. 5,326
C. 6,785
D. 8,354

Answer: C. Between them, our volunteers contributed 6,785 days of their time. That’s a huge amount of work that the National Park Authority would just not be able to do without them.

Every year, hundreds of people of all ages, and from all walks of life, generously give their time to work together to make the Yorkshire Dales National Park the brilliant place it is. They get involved with a wide range of activities across the area, it’s not just footpaths and stiles. To find out more, go to our volunteering page to see what they get up to, and the difference they make.

5. What am I? Can you identify the object in the photograph? (1 point)

Answer: A pole gate post

Before hinged gates were common, pole gates were often used. Notches were carved out of a pair of stone posts so that wooden poles could be inserted between the two, closing off the gap with a fence-like structure. In the gateway in the picture, four poles would have been used.

The poles would have to be cut to just the right length. If they were too long, they wouldn’t fit in the slots. If they were too short, they would just drop out.

6. Which site in the Yorkshire Dales is said to have inspired the novel ‘The Water Babies’ by Charles Kingsley? (1 point)

A. Malham Tarn
B. The Strid
C. Semerwater

Answer: A. Malham Tarn and surrounding area

The Victorian priest and writer, Charles Kingsley, stayed at Tarn House when he visited Walter Morrison in 1858. He was inspired to write ‘The Water Babies’ while he was there and, in a letter to his wife, described Malham Tarn and how it would be included in the book.

The limestone scenery is described in vivid detail, and it is possible that the black streaks of lichen on the face of Malham Cove inspired Tom’s steep descent to the stream where he “dirtied everything terribly as he went. There has been a great black smudge all down the crag ever since.”

7. Can you name the large woodland on the right hand side of the photograph? (1 point)

Answer: Grass Wood near Grassington in Wharfedale.

Grass Wood is one of the largest broadleaved woodlands in the Dales. It is a nature reserve, managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. It has a particularly species-rich ground flora (the number of different plants growing on the ground under the trees) and is a good place to hear and see woodland birds.

8. If you were to use a ‘stiddy’, what might you be doing? (1 point)

A. Making a horseshoe
B. Washing clothes
C. Carving wood
D. Making sweets

Answer: A. Making a horseshoe. A stiddy is an anvil.

Dales Countryside Museum shares the stories of the people and places of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. You can find out more on the Museum’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

9. What am I? Can you identify the animal in the photograph? (1 point)

Answer: A. Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

Hedgehogs are the UK’s only prickly mammal and, although they live in a variety of habitats, their numbers are decreasing. You might hear them rather than see them – they are surprisingly noisy with a range of huffs and puffs!

You can help support hedgehogs by letting them use your garden. Make sure that fences have gaps in them so that the hedgehogs can get in and out, and leave some areas of leaves and vegetation untouched so that there are places to rummage for food and provide shelter. You could also make a house and put out food for them, if you see them in your garden. But don’t put out bread and milk. Put out cat or dog food instead.

You can find more information on the Woodland Trust’s website.

10. Can you work out the location in each of the cryptic clues? They are all in the National Park. (1 point each)

A. High place to get bronzed
B. Reynard isn’t down
C. Everything gone up in flames
D. Find value of large corvid
E. Result of walking through nettles in shorts

Answers:

A. Tan Hill
B. Foxup
C. Burnsall
D. Ravensworth
E. Rash

So, are you pleasantly surprised at how well you did, or did you know you had it in the bag?

Well done, we hope you enjoyed the quiz and learning more about the Yorkshire Dales.

1-5 Nice try! There were some tricky questions in there!

6-10 Good job – well on your way to being a Yorkshire Dales expert.

11-16 Awesome! You really know your stuff.

17? Wow – we have an expert here – when can we sign you up!?

This is just to play for fun at home among friends and family so please don’t post your answers up so that everyone can have a go! Look out for our next quiz coming soon…