1066 and all what? A quarter of adults don't know when the First World War or the Battle of Hastings was

This nation has been profoundly changed by the events of history including two world wars.

Yet a quarter of adults do not know when the First World War took place, a poll has revealed.

And a small minority even believe that the victor in the Battle of Hastings was Robin Hood.

The survey, which suggests that many of us flounder with such basic elements of our past, asked ten-year-old schoolchildren to compile a list of history questions they could answer.

These questions were then put to 1,000 adults in research for online booking service Trainline.

A quarter of the adults asked could not list the years in which the First World War took place. 

Shockingly, a quarter struggled to recall the year of the Battle of Hastings, while 3 per cent believe it was won by Robin Hood and 2 per cent think it was won by French emperor Napoleon.

When asked about the Black Death, 23 per cent did not know that rat fleas carried the disease, while 2 per cent said that it was spread and carried by dogs.

Almost 40 per cent did not know that the Romans were responsible for building Hadrian's Wall, while almost a third could not name the year of the Great Fire of London.

The findings come after a drop in visits to historical sites. According to Trainline data, 6.7million Britons have yet to set foot on a historical site, and the visitor numbers remain 11 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

Sakshi Anand of Trainline said: 'Our research shows that Britons would love to get out to explore our history but may need some inspiration for how to get there and where to go.

'With nearly two thirds of us preferring to visit these sites in the summer, now is the time to hop on board for a fun day out with a little learning along the way.'