How Well Do you Know Kingsbridge?
The pretty market town of Kingsbridge continues to win the hearts of our guests, many of whom return year-on-year to enjoy the very best of this thriving South Hams community. For those of you who love this pretty waterside town, we thought you might like the chance to pit your wits in a true test of local Kingsbridge knowledge.
It’s time to see if you’ve got what it takes to become a bonified Kingsbridgian when you take on Mr Toad and his Kingsbridge Quiz…
Good luck!
Mr Toad’s Kingsbridge Quiz
Q.1 The aptly named passageway that runs between Mill Street and Western Backway is known as?
A. Squeezebelly Lane
B. Sneezewelly Lane
C. Breathwheezy Lane
Q.2 The seasonal ferryboat that cruises between Kingsbridge and Salcombe is called?
A. The Estuary Queen
B. The Water Nymph
C. The Rivermaid
Q.3 Kingsbridge hit the national headlines for opening which of the following?
A. The world’s smallest disco
B. The world’s tiniest police station
C. The world’s most confusing round-a-bout
Q.4 Where do Kingsbridge Rugby Club play their home matches?
A. Long Manor
B. Tall Acres
C. High House
Q.5 Former Kingsbridgian, William Cookworthy, became famous for which of the following discoveries?
A. The Dartmoor beast
B. The tomb of Tutankhamun
C. English China Clay
Q.6 On the mid-brow of Kingsbridge Fore Street, and dating back to the middle ages, stands a granite pillared walkway known as?
A. The Muddles
B. The Shambles
C. The Jumbles
Q.7 Which of these watering holes is a historic Kingsbridge alehouse?
A. The Admiral Lord Nelson
B. The King of Prussia
C. The Grand Old Duke of York
Q.8 What was the name of the former Kingsbridge railway line that followed the Avon River all the way to the southern edge of Dartmoor?
A. The Primrose Line
B. The Bluebell Line
C. The Buttercup Line
Q.9 What is unusual about the Kingsbridge town hall clock tower?
A. It also tells the correct time in New Delhi
B. One of the faces is mysteriously blank
C. It only chimes at noon and midnight
Q.10 Kingsbridge has the only nightclub in the South Hams, but what’s its name?
A. Waves
B. Castaways
C. Coast
Q.11 Which of these ceremonies helps to mark the town’s annual fair week?
A. The town crier dances bare-chested round a maypole
B. The hanging of a garlanded glove
C. A prize rooster is led through the town council chambers
Q.12 Which of these contests is held on Kingsbridge Town Square every summer?
A. A shin-kicking tournament
B. A gurning championship
C. A pétanque competition
What better way to discover the historic market town of Kingsbridge in the heart of South Devon than by booking a Toad Hall holiday cottage.
Answers;
Q1. A; Originally called Oxford Passage, Squeezebelly Lane was for many years just a nickname, however, it received official signage in 2012.
Q2. C; The Rivermaid is not only a popular ferry service but also runs estuary tours and creek cruises.
Q3. A; A red telephone box at the top of Kingsbridge Fore Street has laid claim to being the smallest night club in the world!
Q4. C; The ‘blue ‘n’ whites’ play their home matches at High House.
Q5. C; Born in Kingsbridge, William Cookworthy was the English Quaker minister who discovered how to make china clay during the 1700s.
Q6. B; These iconic granite pillars are known as ‘the Shambles’, an Elizabethan market arcade and an important part of Kingsbridge’s heritage.
Q7. B; The King of Prussia on Bridge Street was named after a famous West Country smuggler.
Q8. A; The Primrose Line opened in 1893. This once popular branch line was part of the old South Devon Railway network (which eventually became part of Great Western Railway). It closed in 1963 despite plenty of local opposition.
Q9. B; The western face of the clock tower is thought to have been left blank to ensure that inmates of the town’s workhouse laboured without distraction.
Q10. C; The town’s nightclub is called Coast, formally known as Fusion, and before that, Dudleys. It can be found on Lower Union Road.
Q11. B; The history of Kingsbridge Fair Week lies in an ancient charter and the glove hanging ceremony signifies the fair is in progress and remains a symbol of fair trade and clemency throughout its duration.
Q12. C; Every year, as part of Kingsbridge Fair Week, the town hosts a pétanque competition on the town square.