Land’s End marks the northern tip of Britain, Hadrian’s Wall is in Cornwall and the Jurassic Coast is to be found in Scotland…
2013-04-03 — /travelprnews.com/ — That’s the view of millions of Britons whose lack of geographical knowledge was highlighted in new research published today. The report, conducted by Virgin Trains, also showed the nation’s lack of awareness about other famous areas of Britain like the Lake District and the Isle of Man.
Nearly one in 10 people believe the city nearest the Lake District is Newcastle, rather than Carlisle, while one in five think the Isle of Man is in the English Channel. A poll of 1,000 people by Virgin Trains found a particular lack of general knowledge among Britain’s young people. More than a third of those quizzed under 30 think Land’s End is in the north when really it marks the southern-most tip of the country. And a north-south divide really does exist with two in three Londoners unsure about which city is nearest to the Lake District.
Most Interesting results:
31% of Londoners believe Lands End is in the North
7% of those asked truly believe Portsmouth is on the Scottish coastline
21% of those asked think that the Isle of Man is in the English Channel
7% of Londoners believe Oxford is the nearest city to the Lake District
12% of those asked placed the Jurassic Coast in Scotland
One in five Britons think Hadrian’s Wall divides either Devon and Cornwall, Yorkshire and Lancashire, England and Wales and even north and south London
A reliance on modern technology such as Google maps, satellite navigation and internet route finders is being blamed for significant numbers of people having a blinkered view of their country. Social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter also mean that people often keep in touch with friends without travelling to visit them. The poll quizzed people aged 16 to 60-plus on the location of some famous areas of Britain, how long it took to travel between some cities and typical train journey times. Almost half of people did not know that Carlisle in Cumbria is nearer to the Lake District than Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Oxford, Leeds and Manchester, whilst eight per cent thought it is nearer to Newcastle, five per cent said Oxford and two per cent even said Cardiff in Wales.
Ignorance about the Lake District location was highest among under 30s with 54 per cent not knowing it is nearest to Carlisle. And Londoners were least knowledgeable about the Lake District with only 34 per cent knowing its location. Nearly half of those questioned (47 per cent) did not know that Inverness in Scotland is the most northerly city compared to Aberdeen, Cardiff, Portsmouth and Leeds. That figure rose to 54 per cent among people aged under 30, said Virgin Trains.
A third (33 per cent) of those polled did not know that the Isle of Man is in the Irish Sea, placing it in the English Channel (21 per cent), North Sea (nine per cent) and Atlantic (three per cent). While 68 per cent correctly said the Jurassic Coast is in Dorset and Devon, 12 per cent placed it in Scotland, seven per cent in Northumberland or north Wales and six per cent in Norfolk. More than one in five Britons thought Hadrian’s Wall divides both Devon and Cornwall, Yorkshire and Lancashire, England and Wales and even north and south London. A total of 78 per cent correctly said it is nearest to the border between England and Scotland. While 87 per cent rightly said Land’s End is in the south of the UK, 13 per cent said it is in the north, rising to about a third of Londoners, and those aged under 30.
More than seven in 10 Brits thought a typical train journey between Manchester and London took between three and five hours, compared to the real time of just over two hours. Just 21 per cent of people correctly said the train journey time from Oxenholme in the Lake District to London is three hours. Twelve per cent believe the journey is more than five hours. Six in 10 people did not know that trains can reach speeds of 125mph on journeys between London and Manchester.
Arthur Leathley, Communications Director, Virgin Trains says “Our research shows that significant numbers of people in Britain are pretty vague about the location of some of our most famous landmarks. But technology such as sat nav, Google maps and route finder websites mean that people can almost point and go these days, without having to know the geography of the country. In the end, there is no better way of discovering where everywhere is than to get out there and enjoy our great landscape this year.”
Joss Croft, Marketing Director of VisitBritain said: “Travelling by train offers visitors a scenic and relaxing way to explore Britain’s beautiful countryside and provides easy access to all of the world-class attractions that are scattered across the country. It’s a fantastic way for people to experience Britain’s heritage and culture as well. Whether it’s heading to Liverpool to take in a match at Anfield before visiting an exhibition at the Tate, or wandering the Royal Mile in Edinburgh ahead of dining at one of the city’s Michelin starred restaurants, visitors are just a train ride away from discovering all that is great about Britain.”
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For more information, please contact Clemmie Mason-Pearson or Thom Walton
Tel: 0207 403 6900 Email: Clemmie.MP@spider-pr.com/ Thom.Walton@spider-pr.com
Notes to Editors
The Britain Re-Written map below is available in high res
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