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CURIOUS FACTS AND SNIPPETS |
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One of the richest treasures was found in a place called Cheapside in London. |
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Tarmacadam or tarmac surfaces millions of roads globally but was not invented by John McAdam as many people believe but by Edgar Hooley from Nottinghamshire in 1901.
Source:www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The real inventor of the electric light was Englishman Joseph Swan in 1880. He later set up a business with Thomas Edison to perfect it.
Source: Inventing the Electric Light by
Lisa Mullins
(2007) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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On 4th of January 2011 more than 40,000 dead Devil Crabs washed up on the Kent coast. Scientists blamed the cold but others claimed mystery.
Source: The Guinness Book of Records by
Peter Matthews (1995) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Toenails of a long-dead alcoholic elephant, mascot of the 78th regiment, are on display in the military museum section of Edinburgh Castle.
Source: The Guinness Book of Records by
Peter Matthews (1995) / www.curiousbritain.com
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Nasty, Ugley, Crackpot, Pratt's Bottom, The Bog, Boghead, Apes Dale, Brown Willy and Cockup Bottom are real places in Britain. (You can find them all on Google Earth)
Source: Google Earth (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com
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Only one word in the English language has three consecutive sets of double letters and it's "Bookkeeper" B-oo-kk-ee-per.
Source: www.curiousbritain.com |
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The largest cheese platter ever created weighed in at 1,122.5 kg and won a Guinness World Record on the 24th of November 2010 in Solihull.
Source:www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The largest prawn (shrimp) cocktail was produced by Tom Pickerell at Fishmongers’ Hall, London, on 10th of July 2009 - it weighed 99.72kg. (Sounds like they were going for 100kg)
Source:www.eatoutmagazine.co.uk (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The first road in the world to be surfaced with tarmac (asphalt) was five miles of Radcliffe Rd. in Nottingham, England during 1902.
Source:www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com
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The last prisoner(s) to be held in the "Tower of London" were the notorious East End Kray Brothers in 1952 - They were kept for four days. (Rudolph Hess is often mentioned as the last prisoner but he was detained in 1941.)
Source:Battalions: Webster's Quotations by the Icon Group International (2008) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Britain's most remote pub is The Old Forge on Inverie, Scotland, and is 107 miles from the nearest city, Inverness, and has no road access.
Source: The Guinness Book of Records by
Peter Matthews (1995) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Mount Everest is the World's highest mountain and was named in 1865 after a Welshman, Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India.
Source:Sir Edmund Hillary by Samuel Willard Crompton (2009) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The most published (single storyline) novel is "The Lord of the Rings" by British author J. Tolkien with more than 150 million copies printed. (Important Notes: The Harry Potter series by British author J K Rowling has over 400 million printed but is essentially seven separate books with a continuous theme. The Bible and the Quran are not included as they are not novels. There is a claim that another great British author, Charles Dickens, deserves the title with his book "A tale of two Cities" but the claim of 200 million published is subject to verification.)
Source: Wikipedia / BBC / (2002) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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There is a well and waterfall in Knaresborough where the water is so rich in minerals it can transform objects into stone within days.
Source: Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells by Robert Charles Hope (2002) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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In a television poll to select the number one British person the public voted for Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Source: British Broadcasting Corporation (2002) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Welsh mathematician, Robert Recorde, invented the "equals" sign describing it in his book, A Treatise on Algebra. He died in Prison in 1558.
Source: The Ohio educational monthly, Volume 4 (1855) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The oldest golf course in the World is "The Old Course" at St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, and dates back to at least 1552.
Source: www.guinnessworldrecords.com (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The Peak District of England in Britain was first farmed for sheep, cattle and crops more than 6,000 years ago.
Source: Neal Morgan / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The modern postal system was invented in Britain and, as such, it is the only country worldwide not to print its name on its stamps.
Source: Stamps by
Gary Dunaier (1992) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The wedding rings of royal brides are said to be made from a pure nugget of Welsh gold since the tradition was started by the Queen Mother in 1923.
Source: The Daily Telegraph Newspaper (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Ben Nevis (Scotland) is the highest mountain in Britain (1344m) but is still less than one sixth that of the world's highest, Mt. Everest.
Source: Ben Nevis by
Ken Crocket and Simon Richardson
(2007) / www.curiousbritain.com
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The highest pub in England (possibly Britain) is the Tan Hill Inn located on the desolate moors of North Yorkshire and is 1732ft a.s.l. (Above Sea Level)
Source: Tales from the Country Pub by
Brian Martin (1998) / www.curiousbritain.com
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The world's longest railway station name is in Wales. It is spelt as follows: "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch". (It translates as: St. Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave.)
Source: Wales by
Tamara L. Britton (2003) / www.curiousbritain.com
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America may actually get its name from a Welshman called Amerik(e) a sponsor of John Cabot's voyage to America which predated Amerigo. (This may turn out to be true!)
Source: The Book of Origins by
Trevor Homer (2007) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Scotland produces more than 250 million litres of whiskey every year which is enough to fill 4,546 average size swimming pools.
Source: Malt Madness (2010) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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In Cockney rhyming slang from London a "fireman's hose" is a nose and a "loaf of bread" is your head. And .. a "gypsy kiss" is a ... what? (Well it's wet so there's a clue.)
Source: A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang by Julian Franklyn (1960) / www.curiousbritain.com
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At the time of writing in 2011, it appears to be legal to buy cannabis seeds in England ... but it is illegal to allow them to germinate. (This is for curiosity only and is not legal advice)
Source: Wikipedia (2010) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The first motorist ever to be charged by police for speeding was Englishman Walter Arnold on the 28th January 1896. He was doing 8mph. (He was pursued and caught by a policeman riding a bicycle.)
Source: The Legal Companion By Vincent Powell (2005) / www.curiousbritain.com
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Britain really does have an annual cheese rolling competition that involves running down Coopers Hill after a Double Gloucester Round. (The winner gets the cheese.)
Source: Curious Country Customs By Jeremy Hobson (2007) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Legend says that in 1805 the people of Hartlepool once hung a monkey that survived the Chasse Maree shipwreck because they thought he might be a French spy.
Source: Essential Militaria by Nicholas Hobbes(2004) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The Ostrich in Colnbrook may be Britain's most haunted pub. Allegedly 60 people were murdered there by the landlord in the 17th century.
Source: www.theostrichcolnbrook.co.uk/history.html (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Today a Kit-Kat is a famous British chocolate snack named after the Kit-Kat Club but the original Kit-Kats were mutton pies.
Source: Lives of Wits and Humourists by John Timbs (1862) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Englishman Daniel Lambert, (b.1770), weighed 52 stone and was so fat that he couldn't sink. He could still swim with two men on his back.
Source:Wonderful Characters Volume 1 by Henry Wilson (1826) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The most famous of all British pop bands "The Beatles" were once known as "Johnny and the Moondogs". Johnny was, of course, John Lennon.
Source: Guitar Gods by Bob Gulla (2009) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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There really is a town called "Little Sodbury" in Gloucestershire and it's where the first English translation of the Bible was started.
Source: I Never Knew That About England by Christopher Winn (2005) / www.curiousbritain.com |
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The Dress Act of 1747 (George II) made it illegal to wear kilts in Scotland but fortunately for the Scots, the law was repealed in 1783.
Source: The Tartan Museum, Scotland / www.curiousbritain.com |
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For the past 50 years the most common name in Britain has been John Smith. It is also the name of a popular bitter beer brewed since 1847.
Source: UK Register of Births / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Nowhere in Britain is more than 74½ miles from the sea. According to the Ordinance Survey the centre of Britain is a town call Cotton-in-the-Elms, Derbyshire.
Source: The BBC / UK Ordinance Survey / www.curiousbritain.com |
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Did you know that there's a butterfly named after the British flag. It's called The Union Jack butterfly but actually comes from Australia.
Source: Wikipedia (2011) / www.curiousbritain.com
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