Quiz on London

Which river flows through the centre of London?

• Severn
• Mersey
• Thames ✓ (Correct answer)
• Tyne

Source: The Thames has shaped London for 2,000 years, with the city first founded as the Roman port of Londinium on its banks.

What is London's underground railway commonly nicknamed?

• The Metro
• The Subway
• The Loop
• The Tube ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Opened in 1863, it was the world's first underground railway, earning the nickname from its cylindrical tunnels.

Which royal residence in London is the monarch's official home?

• Windsor Castle
• Buckingham Palace ✓ (Correct answer)
• Kensington Palace
• Hampton Court

Source: Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, but it only became the official royal residence under Queen Victoria in 1837.

What colour are London's traditional double-decker buses?

• Red ✓ (Correct answer)
• Black
• Green
• Yellow

Source: Red became standard over a century ago, though a separate green 'Green Line' coach fleet served London's country routes for decades.

Which large Ferris wheel stands on the South Bank of the Thames?

• The Orbit
• The Wheel of Time
• The Spinnaker
• The London Eye ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Built for the millennium, the London Eye was meant to be temporary but became one of the city's most visited attractions.

Which London square is famous for Nelson's Column and its lions?

• Leicester Square
• Russell Square
• Trafalgar Square ✓ (Correct answer)
• Sloane Square

Source: The square commemorates Admiral Nelson's 1805 naval victory, and its four bronze lions were cast from melted-down cannons.

Which London landmark is a famous bascule bridge that opens for ships?

• London Bridge
• Tower Bridge ✓ (Correct answer)
• Millennium Bridge
• Westminster Bridge

Source: Tower Bridge still lifts around 800 times a year, and it is constantly confused with the plainer London Bridge nearby.

Which historic fortress houses the Crown Jewels?

• Windsor Castle
• Hampton Court
• Tower of London ✓ (Correct answer)
• Leeds Castle

Source: The Tower has guarded the Crown Jewels for centuries and is watched over by ravens, whose departure legend says would doom the kingdom.

Which London park is home to Speakers' Corner?

• Hyde Park ✓ (Correct answer)
• Regent's Park
• Richmond Park
• Greenwich Park

Source: Speakers' Corner has hosted free public oratory since 1872, where Marx, Orwell and Lenin all once held forth.

What is the famous clock tower beside the Houses of Parliament called?

• Elizabeth Tower ✓ (Correct answer)
• Victoria Tower
• Albert Tower
• Westminster Spire

Source: The tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012; the name Big Ben actually belongs to the great bell inside it.

Which fictional detective is associated with an address on Baker Street?

• Hercule Poirot
• Inspector Morse
• Sherlock Holmes ✓ (Correct answer)
• Father Brown

Source: 221B Baker Street drew so much fan mail that a real museum and a dedicated secretary were eventually set up there.

What is the official residence of the British Prime Minister in London?

• 11 Downing Street
• Admiralty House
• 10 Downing Street ✓ (Correct answer)
• Lancaster House

Source: Behind its famous black door, Number 10 connects to Number 11 and hides over 100 rooms inside.

Through which London district does the Prime Meridian of zero longitude pass?

• Greenwich ✓ (Correct answer)
• Westminster
• Chelsea
• Islington

Source: Greenwich was chosen as the world's reference for longitude in 1884, making it the home of Greenwich Mean Time.

The Great Fire of London in 1666 is said to have started in a bakery on which street?

• Baker Street
• Fleet Street
• Threadneedle Street
• Pudding Lane ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: The fire began in Thomas Farriner's bakery and destroyed most of the medieval City within a few days.

Which London district is the city's traditional financial centre?

• The City ✓ (Correct answer)
• Soho
• Camden
• Mayfair

Source: Known as the Square Mile, the City of London is a tiny district with its own police force and Lord Mayor.

Which London market is best known as a vibrant hub for vintage and alternative fashion?

• Camden Market ✓ (Correct answer)
• Smithfield Market
• Billingsgate Market
• Covent Garden

Source: Camden grew from a small craft fair in the 1970s into one of London's busiest and most eclectic markets.

Which London cathedral has a famous dome designed by Christopher Wren?

• Westminster Abbey
• St Paul's Cathedral ✓ (Correct answer)
• Southwark Cathedral
• Westminster Cathedral

Source: Wren rebuilt St Paul's after the Great Fire, and its Whispering Gallery carries a murmur clear across the dome.

Which London Underground line is famously coloured red on the Tube map?

• Victoria line
• Central line ✓ (Correct answer)
• Bakerloo line
• Northern line

Source: The Central line's deep red has marked the east-west route across London since the map's iconic colour scheme was set.

Which London livery hall traditionally hosts the Lord Mayor's banquet?

• Mansion House
• Apothecaries' Hall
• Guildhall ✓ (Correct answer)
• Fishmongers' Hall

Source: Guildhall has been the City of London's ceremonial heart for over 800 years and still hosts its grandest civic events.

Which gate, rebuilt by Wren, once marked the boundary between the City of London and Westminster?

• Aldgate
• Temple Bar ✓ (Correct answer)
• Newgate
• Ludgate

Source: Temple Bar was dismantled in 1878, exiled to a country estate, and only returned to the City in 2004.