Historic attraction named best in the UK by Which? has free-roaming deer, water gardens and kids playground
BEST OF ALL
BEST OF ALL Historic attraction named best in the UK by Which? has free-roaming deer, water gardens and kids playground
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE top historic attractions around the UK have been revealed and and beautiful former monastery in Yorkshire has come out on top.
Which? asked 3,000 people what their favourite historic attractions are around the UK, and the ancient abbey came in at number one.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
Fountains Abbey is the UK's top-rated historic attraction, according to Which?
Credit: Alamy
4
There's also a 'top class' play park on site
Credit: National Trust
Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England.
Which? revealed that Fountains Abbey received an overall attraction score of 88 per cent - which was a combination of overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.
It also got four stars for entertainment and five stars for lack of crowds.
The site is three miles from the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire and was founded in 1132.
Fountains Abbey operated for over 400 years as one of the wealthiest monasteries in the country until its dissolution in 1539.
After being handed down through various families, the abbey is now owned by the National Trust and is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is home to 300 wild deer, which you can see roaming around the 822 acre parkland.
The site also has a 'top class' play park according to visitors.
It's less than two minutes from the visitor centre, there's a huge play area with a rope bridge, nets, fireman's poles, a slide and zip wire.
During kids' holidays, there are extra activities like circus skills workshops, a teddy bears' picnic, crafts and live music.
UK attraction inspired by ancient Greece - with medieval castle, Jurassic Park-esque gardens and kids playground
4
On site is also the Studley Royal Water Garden
Credit: Alamy
The site also includes St Mary's Church, one of the finest examples of high Victorian gothic revival architecture in England, designed by William Burges.
It's home to the Studley Royal Water Garden, which includes canals, ponds, cascades and a temple.
It was built by more than 100 men during the 1700s - and is called 'one of the best surviving examples of a Georgian water garden in England' by the National Trust.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: "Beautiful grounds and the abbey ruins were spectacular, I only wish we had arrived sooner so we could have spent more time."
Fountains Abbey typically gets over 400,000 visitors a year, and it's been used for some TV shows too.
It was used as background for the second season of The Witcher starring Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra.
Entry fee for the Fountains Abbey is £21 for adults. Children between 5-17 can get a ticket for £10.50.
There's also an offer for families with a family of five getting entrance for £52.50 which is £10.50pp.
One writer recently managed to get four National Trust family trips for the price of one by hacking their vouchers.
And here are free attractions to visit this summer revealed by the National Trust.
The full list of top-rated historical attractions from Which? Fountains Abbey Royal Yacht Britannia Culzean Castle & Country Park Titanic Belfast Roman Baths & Pump Room Durham Cathedral Stirling Castle Wakehurst Quarry Bank Stourhead St Paul's Cathedral Tower Bridge Exhibition Anglesey Abbey Powis Castle Westminster Abbey Calke Abbey Croome Court Tower of London Cliveden Winchester Cathedral Attingham Park Hever Castle & Gardens Mottisfont Abbey St David's Cathedral Tyntesfield Wimpole Hall Hampton Court Palace Shugborough Estate Waddesdon Manor York Minster Chatsworth House & Garden Dover Castle Lyme Park Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway Polesden Lacey Belton House Chichester Cathedral Ickworth House Blenheim Palace Cardiff Castle Houses of Parliament Kingston Lacy Estate Old Royal Naval College Greenwich Ullswater Steamers Stonehenge Windermere Lake Cruises Dunham Massey Leeds Castle St Michael's Mount Bath Abbey Bodleian Library Bury St Edmunds Abbey Castle Howard Conwy Castle Edinburgh Castle Scarborough Cliff Railway Somerset House Kensington Palace Tatton Park Bristol Cathedral Southend-on-Sea Pier Caernarfon Castle Shakespeare's Birthplace
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
8 hours ago
- Leader Live
Why Llangollen is among the UK's best towns and villages
Consumer watchdog Which? has come up with a list of the best towns and villages in the UK, based on feedback from its members. More than 9,000 Which? members rated the inland towns and villages they've visited, based on several factors: Introducing the list, Which? said: "They may be geographically smaller than many of the destinations in our surveys for the best and worst cities or seaside towns, but they pack a lot into a small space. "With their historic buildings, rural charm and quirky, independent spirit, the highest-rated towns are worth a visit any time of the year." The top 15 best towns and villages in the UK, according to Which?, are: Llangollen ranked seventh amongst the best towns and villages in the UK, according to Which?, boasting an overall destination score of 79%. The North Wales town scored a perfect five stars for scenery and attractiveness, while it received four stars for food and drink and tourist attractions. For shopping and peace and quiet, Llangollen scored only three stars. It was commended for its "freewheeling, independent spirit" and world-renowned tourist attractions. Which? explained: "Despite its rural location on the banks of the River Dee, Llangollen has long been known for its freewheeling, independent spirit. "Famously, the Ladies of Llangollen eloped here from Ireland to live in Plas Newydd (a substantial Gothic mansion, now a museum) in the 18th century – attracting visitors such as Byron, Shelley and Wordsworth. "It still has an impressive calendar of arts events. "There's also the option of a narrowboat trip over Pontcysyllte, the highest canal aqueduct in the world at 38m, or a trip on the steam railway – which trundles through the valley whistling cheerfully as it goes." Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is an UNESCO World Heritage site and also comes highly recommended by visitors, boasting a 4.7 (out of 5) rating on Tripadvisor from 1,795 reviews. RECOMMENDED READING: 'Beautiful' seaside village in North Wales with 'gem' beaches and UK's oldest café Discover the 'chocolate box' village in North Wales named among the UK's best The 'time-warp' seaside village in North Wales with its very own secret beach Discover the seaside town in North Wales that's one of Europe's best 'hidden gems' Plas Newydd House Museum and Tearoom is also among the top three attractions in Llangollen, according to the review website. While Catell Dinas Bran - a historic castle ruins atop a scenic hill, with panoramic views - is also among the 'must-visit' locations in Llangollen. Other North Wales spots also featured on Which?'s list, including Betws-y-Coed, Llanberis, and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Scotsman
I tried the buzzy new Edinburgh luxury hotel restaurant that's got everyone talking
The Hoxton You'll find this restaurant in the capital's west end Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If I had fifty quid for every time someone had asked me if I'd tried The Hoxton's restaurant yet, I'd be able to get a room. Give me a chance, I tell people, this four-star hotel has only been open for two months. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Anyway, not visiting was giving me Oasis-at-Murrayfield levels of FOMO. At last, we booked in for a Sunday lunch, and got the tram to Haymarket Station. It's been a while since I was in this vicinity, and it's odd how much my old stomping ground has changed in a short period of time. Grosvenor Street used to be the home of some rather middle of the road hotels, in contrastingly grand Georgian buildings. Now the street is monopolised by this 214-room place, from Ennismore - the people behind Gleneagles in Perthshire and Gleneagles Townhouse on St Andrew's Square. I'd say The Hoxton's branding is slightly younger than their Edinburgh sister. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their main restaurant is Patatino - the Scottish-Italian trattoria, named after the Italian word for 'little potato'. It's on the ground floor and along a corridor past a few glossy cheeseplants, as well as a stylish and bustling residents' lounge. (Or maybe we went in the wrong door). Prepare for a visual overload, when you make it to the restaurant, which is inspired by sunny Sorrento and Amalfi. It has an open kitchen, with loud decor that looks like it's been designed by a crack squad of clashing pattern lovers - say Versace, in collaboration with the merchandising team from Anthropologie. There are walls covered in the best pieces of crockery, like it's a glamorous Nonna's house, and a plastic jungle's worth of faux flowers. In common with Gleneagles, the staff are patient, and so enthusiastic. I don't know how they stay so upbeat, this far into the Edinburgh Festival, but it's an impressive feat of endurance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Our waiter asked if we wanted anything from the Nibbles list to start, but we had to pass. How are you still supposed to have room for lunch, after deep-fried spaghetti squares (£8) or slow-cooked brisket arancini (£9)? Still, we did say aye to a cocktail, and not purely because this baby pink take on an Amaretto sour had the excellent moniker of Solemn Pomace (£13). It's funny, because that's my pet name for my husband. For starters, we chose the Caesar salad (£11) and the beef carpaccio (£18). Both were great. The salad wasn't really a salad at all, but a whole baby gem that had been luxuriously anointed, like the wealthiest Egyptian pharaoh, Lettucekhamun, with cured yolk, whole anchovies and a flurry of Parmesan. It was a lovely combo, and what a way for a bit of shrubbery to go. Lettuce pray. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their beef carpaccio was a bit more interesting than the average version, too. There were feathery and velvety petals of pink meat fanned onto a creamy emulsion of Parmesan and balsamic, with a handful of rocket on top. Great start. For mains, they've kept the concept simple. There's pizza, pasta, or a smattering of meaty dishes, like whole sea bass or steak. We shared a couple of things, including the taglioni (£23), which was a little cold, and could have come with a bit more of the billed Amalfi lemon. However, the custard-coloured threads of pasta had a satisfyingly firm bite, and were clad in a rich shellfish bisque, with a large scoop of sweet and shredded Eyemouth crab on top. Gaby Soutar We also tried one of their pizzas - the haggis and nduja (£18), which seemed like a rather nice Scottish Italian partnership. We were given a heat warning, when it came to this option, as it also featured hot honey and Jalapeno. I was preparing to sweat, but this was easy - Portobello Beach in August, rather than Sardinian sands. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It had a charred and billowy sourdough base, and there was plenty of mozzarella, with a judicious amount of the other toppings. Gaby Soutar We also had an unnecessary but pleasant side dish of charred tenderstem broccoli with toasted almonds (£6.50). For pudding, the tableside tiramisu sounded a bit theatrical and crepe Suzette-esque. However, it turned out that they just scoop a big dollop out and plop it in your bowl, while you observe. I'd worry that I'd make a sad face if it wasn't big enough, like when you buy a cake in a bakery, they choose the runt and your eyes fill with tears. Instead, we went for the roasted panettone (£8), which turned out to be a take on bread and butter pudding, with a syrupy soaked slab of this Italian bread. It came with rum and raisin ice-cream and a heap of sandy biscuity crumbs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Well, I'm glad that I can say that I've officially made it to The Hoxton's restaurant.
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
One of the UK's most beautiful train journeys runs right across the beach and it costs less than £20
ONE of the UK's most scenic railway routes costs less than £20 to travel on all day. The Cambrian Coast Railway has previously been named one of the world's most beautiful train journeys. 4 One of the UK's most scenic train routes goes directly across a beach Credit: Alamy 4 The route runs from Aberystwyth to Pwllheli with a change at Machynlleth Credit: Alamy The line runs from Aberystwyth to Pwllheli (with a change at Machynlleth) and often running along the coastline. One of the most beautiful journeys is via Barmouth, where it runs along a bridge that goes directly over the beach or the ocean, depending on the tides. Also called the Mawddach Viaduct, it is the longest viaduct in Wales made from wood, and one of the oldest that is still in use. You can even walk across the bridge, although you will need to ask to get off at Morfa Mawffach. Barmouth is worth a visit itself, as it was named an up-and-coming seaside town. National Geographic said: "This is the sort of town that's full of visitors-turned-residents and it's that sense of pride and community that's powering its revival." It even has a secret beach that can only be visited by tunnel - here is how to find it. Other fun stops along the way include Pwllheli, where you can access popular surfing spots, as well as Fairbourne for sandy beaches. Otherwise popular attractions include the National Library of Wales, in Aberystwyth, or the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn. Make sure to stay on the train in the evenings as well, as it has some of the best sunsets too. I took a 1920s themed train journey with flapper-style singers and luxury dining Visit Wales writer Karen Willans said: "The train ride itself can be a day out, but there's also loads to do along the way. "There's plenty of wildlife to see as well – sea birds (including cormorants), dolphins, porpoises and various birds of prey live in the area." Tickets cost £9.50 for kids or £19 for adults, which includes unlimited travel for the entire day. These can be used after 9:30am in the week, and all day at weekends and Bank Holidays. Railcard discount cards can also be used, and tickets are accepted on some bus services as well. 4 Trains run as much as 12 times a day Credit: Alamy Around five trains run each way in the week between Machynlleth and Pwllheli, with 12 trains each way between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth. These run every one or two hours. There are fewer trains on Sunday, with just three between the May and September season, or one out of this season. Here's the train journey which has been called the most beautiful in the UK. And there is a £5 scenic train journey where waves even crash again the windows.
