British people struggle to recognize landmarks on their doorstep, poll finds

One in six do not know Cardiff is capital of Wales, study suggests

Grant Bailey
Thursday 08 August 2019 11:24 EDT
Comments
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

British people lack basic knowledge of popular UK landmarks, a poll found.

A survey of 2,000 adults found almost half did not recognise Edinburgh Castle, with one in five confusing it with Dover Castle.

One in six were unable to identify Hadrian’s Wall on sight.

But two thirds of respondents recognised Bristol’s iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and Albert Dock in Liverpool.

Participants were also tested on their knowledge of key locations, asking them to identify the county where specific cities and sites could be found.

The iconic silhouette of The Angel of the North was correctly identified by 83 per cent as sitting in Tyne and Wear.

However, one in seven of those polled would be incorrectly heading to Devon for their trip to Portsmouth, rather than its true home in Hampshire.

And only three in five would be able to find their way to the Eden Project, in Cornwall.

Amazingly, one in six were unable to name Cardiff as the capital of Wales, and 16 per cent failed to identify Edinburgh as the capital of Scotland.

Despite this, three in five British people polled via OnePoll.com consider themselves well-travelled, while three in 10 believe their knowledge of UK geography and locations is very good or better.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“The United Kingdom has so much to offer with regard to natural splendour and man-made sights and our research indicates that thousands may be unaware of what is right on their doorstep,“ said Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express, which commissioned the survey.

SWNS

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in