Latest news with #WilliamBurges
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Historic attraction named best in the UK by Which? has free-roaming deer, water gardens and kids playground
Plus, the full list of top historic attractions including a former royal yacht 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
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Historic attraction named best in the UK by Which? has free-roaming deer, water gardens and kids playground
THE top historic attractions around the UK have been revealed and and beautiful former monastery in Yorkshire has come out on top. 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. 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. Read More on UK Attractions 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. Most read in News Travel 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 One visitor wrote on 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 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 And here are 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 4 Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire was voted best historic attraction Credit: Alamy
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Wooden models believed to have secured win to build Cork's St Fin Barre's Cathedral go on display
Intricate wooden models which it's believed helped win the design competition for Cork's landmark St Fin Barre's Cathedral 163 years ago have been restored for public display for the first time. The models were brought to Cork by renowned English architect William Burges to help him compete in the prestigious 1862 international architectural competition to design and build a new cathedral to replace the existing cathedral which many felt was plain and featureless. Burges, who was 35 at the time, and known for his unique and sometimes unconventional style, was the unanimous choice out of over 60 entrants from Ireland, Britain, and the continent, with his design inscribed Non Mortuus Sed Virescrit — he is not dead but flourishing — a compact yet impressive French Gothic-style cathedral, narrow inside but soaring to a great height, with three spires. It's believed the wooden models, which showcased in physical form his ambitious vision for the new cathedral, help wow the selection committee. Burges went on to pour his heart and soul into the cathedral project, with meticulous attention to detail extended to every corner of the building, from the sculpture and mosaics to the furniture and metalwork. The foundation stone was laid in 1865 by Bishop John Gregg, and the cathedral was consecrated on St Andrew's Day, 1870. And while the winner's design was specified not to exceed £15,000, the final cost exceeded £100,000. A complete model of the exterior, which is now on display inside its custom shipping case. Burges acknowledged the cost overruns but told diocesan authorities that within 50 years, no-one would remember the price tag, and would instead be wowed by its beauty. He also gifted to the city the famous 'Resurrection Angel', made of copper and covered with gold leaf. With its soaring Cork limestone towers and spires, the cathedral is today one of the city's architectural wonders. Burges's wooden models have been in storage since — with some pieces in a cathedral strongroom and other pieces in the attic of a diocese property nearby. Three models Diocesan authorities believed they had two separate models until they sent the pieces to Conservation Letterfrack for restoration, thanks to a grant from the Community Heritage Grants Scheme, administered by The Heritage Council, where experts discovered there are actually three separate models. One is a complete model of the cathedral exterior, which is now on display inside its custom shipping case, the second focuses on specific architectural features of the western facade and north west tower, with the third a model of the cathedral's ambulatory area. The restored models were unveiled for public display on Tuesday by Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle, with the help of pupils from St Fin Barre's National School and St Maries of the Isle National School. 'Quality craftsmanship' The Dean of Cork, the Very Rev Nigel Dunne, said The Burges Wooden Model Exhibition is a wonderful addition to the many historic cultural artefacts that are on display at the cathedral. 'As custodians of a large and internationally significant architectural archive, much of which remains in storage, I am delighted that we can now at last reveal these models to the public on permanent display in the Ambulatory of the cathedral,' he said. 'They have been described as being of the highest quality craftsmanship of the time and reveal more of the story of William Burges' deep commitment to bringing the highest quality design and materials to the construction of our beautiful place of worship.' St Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork. The Lord Mayor also cut a ribbon to officially open a newly installed bike rack on the cathedral site to mark Bike Week Cork 2025. And he was told that the cathedral's breeding pair of Peregrine falcons, Solomon and Makeda, who have nested in the east tower, are due to hatch two eggs within the next two weeks. Read More A Cork hotel is on the hunt for four tradesmen after note from 1969 found in lobby walls
