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 name the stripy features in the fields? (1 point)
Answer: Strip lynchets
These are a feature of ancient field systems. They have usually been made, either intentionally or coincidentally, by ploughing repeatedly across, or up and down, a hillside. Horizontal lynchets, as in the photograph, create a series of terraces down the hill, which leaves flat areas on which to grow crops. It is a sign of how farming in the Dales has changed as lynchets show that arable crops were grown here in the past, although these days the most common land use is as meadow and pasture.
2. The ‘dew’ of which carnivorous plant was once used in anti-aging potions? (1 point)
Answer: The round-leaved sundew
Although only small, this plant has a distinctive appearance with reddish leaves which are covered in red or green hairs, each tipped with a drop of sticky, translucent ‘dew’. When an insect lands, the leaves or hairs trigger the plant to move and can entrap the insect in as little as three minutes. Once coated in the plant’s acidic liquid, the insect suffocates before being digested by the plant. The round-leaved sundew can thrive in habitats which have low nutrient levels because it gains nitrogen from insects it traps. In the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this sundew can be found in bogs and acidic damp places, usually in full sun.
3. Can you name the animal in the photograph? (1 point)
Answer: Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus). This one is a female.
The great crested newt is the largest of the British newts (up to 170mm long). It has dark, granular skin and its belly is bright orange with dark blotches. The breeding males are very distinctive as, in the spring, they develop an iridescent stripe along the tail, a jagged crest along their backs, and a smoother crest along the top of the tail. This make them look very much like a small dinosaur! They are protected by law at all life stages, as are the habitats that they live in.
4. In which direction do the following dales generally run? For example, Malhamdale runs roughly from north to south. (1 point each)
A. Wensleydale
B. Arkengarthdale
C. Bishopdale
D. Chapel-le-Dale
E. Ribblesdale
Answer:
A. West to East
B. Northwest to Southeast
C. Southwest to Northeast
D. Northeast to Southwest
E. North to South
5. I can see you… Who does this eye, with the fancy eyeshadow, belong to? (1 point)
Answer: Red grouse (Lagopus lagopus)
This plump gingery bird is native to Britain and finds its home amongst the upland heathlands and moorlands, feeding on young heather. You will sometimes see one from a short distance standing on top of tussocks either to watch you, or ‘see you off’ from its territory. Other times, all you will see is the whirling wings and body as it suddenly flies off from the heather just in front of you.
And, of course, it is best known for being a brand of whisky, named after this iconic bird!
6. In the Dales, if you could see a ‘delf’, what would you be looking at? (1 point)
A. A group of trees
B. A deer
C. A hole
D. A teaset
Answer: C. A hole
The word originates from the Old English word ‘gedelf’, meaning ‘digging for a mine, quarry or ditch’. Elsewhere, you may also hear it referring to a quarry.
7. This pretty plant grows in grasslands in many places (including sneaking into lawns!). Do you know what it is? (1 point)
Answer: Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
Selfheal is a low-growing pretty wild flower that is semi-evergreen and has lovely purple flowers in May and June. It will grow in many places, including on nutrient-poor ground. It gets its name because, in the past, it was used as a remedy for headaches, internal and external wounds, swellings and ulcers. Gerards’ Herbal of 1597 states that “in the world there are not two better wound herbs [than selfheal and bugle], as hath bin often proved.”
It is a lovely plant to grow in your garden. It forms a great ground-cover, either on its own or underneath other plants, such as roses. And, if you need another reason to grow it, bees love its flowers!
8. Which Wensleydale hamlet was the scene of bread riots in 1757? (1 point)
Answer: Worton
The bread riots were a reaction to the increasing price of bread, which meant that many families could not afford to buy it.
9. Name the village in the photograph. (1 point)
Answer: Dent
10. Can you work out the location in each of the cryptic clues? They are all in the National Park. (1 point each)
A. A very stable home
B. Often seen on the side of a vehicle
C. Boggy but colourful
D. Aquatic creature gets too hot
E. Always a strong wind here
Answer:
A. Horsehouse
B. Dent
C. Redmire
D. Otterburn
E. Gayle
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.
1-6 Nice try! There were some tricky questions in there!
7-12 Good job – well on your way to being a Yorkshire Dales expert.
13-17 Awesome! You really know your stuff.
18? 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…
