From St Paul's Cathedral to Blackpool Tower, Stonehenge to Edinburgh Castle...
St Paul's Cathedral is Britain's favourite building according to new survey
Brits believe that Stonehenge is a greater feat of architecture and design than The Shard or Westminster Abbey
The survey was conducted to mark the launch of new TV series Impossible Engineering airing on TV channel Yesterday, Tuesdays at 9pm
St Paul's Cathedral, which was designed by Christopher Wren and survived the London Blitz unscathed, has been voted the nation's favourite building, followed by Stonehenge and The Houses of Parliament.
Top 20 Favourite British Buildings
1. St Paul's Cathedral, London 38%
2. Stonehenge, Wiltshire 30%
3. The Houses of Parliament, London 26%
4. Edinburgh Castle 22%
5. Buckingham Palace, London 20%
6. Windsor Castle 18%
7. The Shard, London 16%
8. Westminster Abbey, London 14%
9. The Eden Project, Cornwall 12%
10. Blackpool Tower 8%
11. Durham Cathedral 8%
12. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire 8%
13. The Gherkin, London 8%
14. Kings College Chapel, Cambridge 8%
15. Battersea Power station, London 8%
16. The Royal Pavilion, Brighton 8%
17. Alnwick Castle, Northumberland 6%
18. The Royal Liver Building, Liverpool 6%
19. The Mackintosh Building, Glasgow School of Art 6%
20. Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth 6%
To celebrate the launch of new six-part series Impossible Engineering on Tuesday 26 May at 9pm on Yesterday, UKTV commissioned a survey of 2000 British adults to find out which buildings were favoured by the nation, and St Paul's Cathedral came out on top with 38% of the votes.
Also gracing the list were other famous London landmarks including The Houses of Parliament (26%), Buckingham Palace (20%), The Shard (18%), Westminster Abbey (18%), The Gherkin (8%) and Battersea Power Station (8%). However, the survey showed that great architecture is not limited to the capital, with Stonehenge (30%) featuring in second place, and Edinburgh (22%) and Windsor (20%) Castles close behind. More modern examples of design such as The Eden Project in Cornwall also rated highly, making the top 10 with 16% of the votes.
The study revealed that there was a correlation between which buildings we favour and which we deem to be great feats of architecture and design. St Paul's Cathedral not only topped the list as the nation's favourite building, but was also thought to exhibit the greatest feat of architecture. Built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, two thirds of Brits (68%) think this iconic London landmark is the most impressive feat of design in the country.
Stonehenge came in second with 30% of the votes. Built between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago, the process of its construction remains a mystery, which could explain why 56% of Britons think its design is more impressive than the likes of Westminster Abbey (38%), The Shard (36%) and The Houses of Parliament (34%).
Adrian Wills, General Manager of Yesterday, said "Britain is so rich with great architecture and design, so we wanted to celebrate this by finding out our nation's favourite.
Impossible Engineering looks back at the social, political and technological elements that came together so the greatest inventions of our time could be realised. The fact that so many of these historical structures broke the architectural mould when they were built shows that really great, innovative design can span generations."
The survey also revealed Britain's favourite structures, with Stonehenge voted top (54%). London again proved to be a key location as Tower Bridge (40%), Big Ben (38%) and The London Eye (22%) took second, third and fourth place respectively. Clifton Suspension Bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge in Bristol, was fifth after receiving 22% of the votes.
Top 10 Favourite British Structures
1. Stonehenge (Wiltshire) 54%
2. Tower Bridge (London) 40%
3. Big Ben (London) 38%
4. The London Eye (London) 22%
5. Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol 22%
6. Hadrian's Wall (Cumbria - South Shields) 22%
7. The Angel of the North (Gateshead) 20%
8. Blackpool Tower 16%
9. Iron Bridge, Shropshire 14%
10. Firth of Forth 14%
Impossible Engineering premieres on Yesterday on Tuesday 26 May at 9pm
For more information: Kat Day KD@taylorherring.com / Lora Martyr LM2@taylorherring.com : 0208 206 5151
Notes to editors:
The survey of 2,000 British adults aged 18+ was carried out by OnePoll during April 2015
About Yesterday
Sky 537, Virgin 206, Freeview 19, BT and TalkTalk 019 and on demand via UKTV Play
Showcasing UK premiere series such as Raiders of the Lost Past, Forbidden History, and UFO Declassified, Yesterday provides fascinating factual stories. The channel also features dynamic nature and science programming including David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities and Why Planes Crash, and programmes which challenge expectations including Secrets of the Bible. Ancient history is also featured in series including Medieval Dead, plus modern conflict in shows such as Black Ops.
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches 42 million viewers a month.
UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.