Britain's towns and countryside are steeped in fascinating history – and with this history comes some a few surprises or funny quirks.
Did you know that the sand sings on 33 UK beaches? And you can legally own your own mine in the Forest of Dean? Whether it's odd traditions, peculiar place names or painful sporting events, these weird and wonderful facts prove that Britain is anything but ordinary.
Weird facts about the UK
1. In the Forest of Dean, you can own your own mine
The freemining tradition is local to the Forest of Dean, where individuals are given personal plots of land where they are allowed to mine. These plots are known as “gales”. A Deputy Gaveller oversees the operations, managing the individual mine owners and operators.
2. It is illegal to be drunk and in charge of a cow
The Licensing Act 1872 states that a penalty will be given to “every person who is drunk while in charge on any highway or other public place of any carriage, horse, cattle, or steam engine.”
3. Everywhere in the UK is less than 70 miles from the sea
The town in the UK furthest from the sea is Coton in the Elms in Derbyshire, which is 70 miles from the coast.
4. Sparkling wine was invented in England, not France
Contrary to popular belief, sparkling wine was first created in England. The French monk Dom Perignon has long been named as the inventor of champagne in 1697, but 30 years earlier, an English scientist discovered that winemakers on this side of the channel had been adding fizz to their wine for many years.
- Beginner's guide to English wine
- The UK's top 20 vineyards, brewery tours, ale trails and cider-making courses
5. Peat bog covers almost seven times as much land as all Britain’s buildings
There is almost 100 times as much peat bog in the UK as there is continuous urban fabric. It turns out, the UK’s urban areas are greener than we might think.
6. There are towns and villages in the UK called Bitchfield, Cocks and Penistone
The UK is home to some pretty rude place names, thanks to the humorous evolution of the English language. Scratch Arse Ware is also a lovely area of limestone hills in Dorset that’s very popular with walkers.
7. There’s a cheese-rolling competition in Gloucestershire every year
The world-famous phenomenon takes place in Cooper’s Hill on the early spring bank holiday, with participants throwing themselves down an incredibly steep hill after a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. There are often some fairly significant injuries. Read more about the other weird sporting events in Britain here.
8. At the Four Shire Stone, you can stand in four counties at once
The Four Shire Stone is a boundary marker that marks the point where the English counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire once met.
9. The longest place name in the UK has 58 letters
A town in the island of Anglesey in North Wales is called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
10. It is illegal to fish for salmon on Sundays in Scotland
While not explicitly included in the legislation, the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 dictates that “no person shall fish for or take salmon (except during Friday, Saturday or Monday by rod and line) during the weekly close time.” The so-called weekly close time for salmon extends “from the hour of six in the evening on Friday to the hour of six on the following Monday morning”.
11. Locals set giant tar barrels on fire and carry them down the streets in a Devon town
Every Bonfire Night, Ottery St Mary locals celebrate the Tar Barrel Rolling Festival. This thrilling and dangerous spectacle dates back centuries.
12. It’s illegal to swear in a library
Section 2 of the Libraries Offences Act 1898 outlines penalties for offences committed in libraries, including disorderly behaviour, violent and abusive language.
13. The UK has an island where vehicles are prohibited
The Isle of Eigg has no public transport on the island and island residents are the only ones allowed access to cars. Visitors aren’t allowed to bring cars, campervans or motorbike, unless they a registered disabled person. But it’s a small island – only about 4.5 miles long, so walking or cycling is a good option!
14. There’s an egg-throwing championships in Lincolnshire
Teams of two (a catcher and a tosser) stand 10m apart and move further away after each successful catch.
15. There are 33 beaches in the British isles that have reported “singing sand”
Did you know that sand can produce sound? The curious phenomenon can be produced by wind passing over dunes or on the sand, and it has been heard on 33 beaches in the British isles, including Porthor in North Wales, the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands and the isle of Eigg in the Inner Hebrides.
16. The UK hosts the world’s shortest scheduled commercial flight
The world’s shortest scheduled commercial flight is between Westray and Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands and takes about 90 seconds to complete. Loganair operates this route.
17. There’s an ancient wife-carrying championships in Surrey
This Dorking event is said to have begun with the Vikings at Lindisfarne in 793AD, and was resurrected in 2008 when the Wife Carrying Champs began.
18. There's a river in Scotland which is among the shortest place names in the world
The River E is a river in the Highlands of Scotland, beginning in the north-west of the Monadh Liath to the south-east of Loch Ness (one of the biggest lakes in the UK). Scotland has a few short place names, with a village in Dumfries and Galloway called Ae.