New alternative map of the UK shows where the nation mistakenly think famous landmarks are, turning the country upside-down
- Only 47% of Cardiff residents surveyed correctly identified Snowdon as being in Bets-y-Coed
- A quarter of Cardiff locals didn’t think that Snowdon was in Wales at all
- Half of UK adults (46%) have no idea where Stonehenge is, despite it being one of the UK’s most iconic ancient landmarks
- 15% of those surveyed did not know that Buckingham Palace or Big Ben are in London
- Those aged over 65 proved to be the most geographically-savvy, showing up millennials who appear to the least aware of where landmarks are located
Over half (53%) of Cardiff locals don’t know that Mount Snowdon is in Bets-y-Coed – according to new research.
Worse than this, a quarter (25%) didn’t know that Snowdon was in Wales at all. While a third (32%) weren’t far off, placing the famous landmark in Brecon, one in twenty (5%) believed Snowdon was in Edinburgh, 195 miles away.
Jackpotjoy, who ran the poll with 2,000 UK adults, also discovered that more than 22,500 Brits ask Google where the UK’s top landmarks can be found each month – totalling a staggering 270,000 searches a year.
It seems that many people across the nation would struggle to locate these famous attractions without the help of a sat nav!
The rest of the nation also had trouble placing Wales’ iconic mountain, with a third (33%) not placing it in Wales. 4% of Brits instead believed it to be in Cornwall, while another 4% believed Snowdon was in Liverpool.
Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed revealed that have no idea where Stonehenge is, despite it being one of the world’s most famous prehistoric landmarks, having been constructed around 5,000 years ago.
Over 10 million UK adults can’t place the capital’s most iconic landmarks – with one in seven (15%) unaware that Buckingham Palace or Big Ben are in London.
One in ten aren’t aware that Tower Bridge is in London either.
To show just how much the nation may need to brush up on its geography knowledge, Jackpotjoy re-plotted ‘on paper’ twenty of the country’s top landmarks according to their survey results – to reveal a new alternative map of the UK… and it looks pretty different!
The alternative map of the UK, based on where people think that landmarks are:
Where the landmarks actually are:
The queen’s most famous residence, Buckingham Palace, was shifted up north to England’s former Viking capital, York in this new ‘alternative’ map.
Over 15,600 British people look up where the palace is every year on Google, showing that while this Royal Family home might be well known, its location isn’t!
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s iconic Royal Albert Dock was migrated south to London.
Sherwood Forest is the landmark outside of London that the most Brits successfully located, with 74% correctly placing it in Nottingham.
However, while a huge majority (84%) of Notts residents surveyed knew that Sherwood Forest was local to them, one in five (16%) had no clue.
Despite attracting nearly as many visitors as Buckingham Palace each year, only one in four (39%) know that the National Football Museum is in Manchester, with 30% believing it to be in London.
Just over half of Brits know that the Giant’s Causeway, which is said to have been formed between 50 and 60 million years ago, is located in Northern Ireland. However, more than one in twenty (6%) placed it 307 miles away in Bristol, instead.
Here’s how many B correctly identified where these famous landmarks are:
· Big Ben, London (85%)
· Buckingham Palace, London (85%)
· Tower Bridge, London (84%)
· Sherwood Forest, Nottingham (74%)
· Lands’ End, Cornwall (67%)
· Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool (63%)
· Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol (59%)
· Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland (58%)
· Kew Gardens, Richmond (56%)
· The Eden Project, Cornwall (55%)
· Stonehenge, Wiltshire (54%)
· Angel of the North, Tyne & Wear (52%)
· Cheddar Gorge, Somerset (42%)
· The Royal Mile, Edinburgh (41%)
· Snowdon, Bets-y-coed (41%)
· National Football Museum, Manchester (39%)
· Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire (38%)
· Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh (34%)
The poll also highlighted that age does often equal wisdom, at least in terms of geography, as millennials proved to be the least savvy age group, while those aged over 65 had the best knowledge of where these UK landmarks are located.
Despite it being Edinburgh Old Town’s main street, only a quarter (26%) of 25–34-year-olds knew where The Royal Mile is compared to three in five (58%) over 65s. Plus, only 15% of Millennials knew where Somerset’s famous Cheddar Gorge is, while the majority (64%) of over 65’s correctly located it.
In the battle of the sexes, men took home the trophy, giving more correct answers than women in this tricky geography challenge.
The Angel of the North is seen by 33,000,000 motorists every year, but less than half (48%) of women correctly guessed it was in Tyne and Wear, in comparison to 56% of men.
Three in five men (58%) also correctly guessed that Stonehenge is in Wiltshire compared to just half of women.
Alex Fagelson, Head of Brand (Bingo-led) and team at Jackpotjoy said: ”Looking at our survey results, we were surprised that many Brits don’t know where some of the country’s most famous attractions are.
While it may be wise to brush up on our geography knowledge, there’s no better way to do this than heading out to see these attractions in the flesh. As summer approaches we can’t think of a better excuse for a fun day out!”
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