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Sept
Fountains Abbey named second-best historical site to visit in UK
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Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal has been named the second-best historical site to visit in the UK.
A recent survey put together by GO Outdoors saw the site placed just behind Dunnottar Castle in Scotland. It ranked higher than famous sites such as York Minster, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
A total of 52 sites were surveyed, with the medieval abbey earning an overall score of 8.91 out of 10.
The overall scores were determined by collating information for four different categories: admission cost, average Google review score out of five, average Tripadvisor review score out of five, and average monthly searches.
The cost of a family ticket for Fountains Abbey is £52.50. The most expensive of the top 11 was the Tower of London, which cost £107.40 for two adults and two children.
The abbey’s average Google review score was 4.8 out of five, joint best with Dunnottar Castle and the SS Great Britain. The other eight sites had an average score of 4.7.
Its average Tripadvisor score was 4.7 out of five. Dunnottar Castle, the SS Great Britain, Skara Brae, and Pembroke Castle all had a higher score of 4.8.
Finally, Fountains Abbey had an average of 60,500 monthly searches between July 2024 and June 2025. This was 20,000 more than Dunnottar Castle. The most searched site was the Tower of London, with 550,000 average monthly searches.
A statement on the GO Outdoors website said:
This ancient abbey is a little costlier than some of our other historic days out. However, it’s well reviewed and is a popular choice for a historical day out. For a family of four, it will cost just over £50, but this water garden is well worth it.
The suggested time spent here is over three hours, giving you plenty of opportunity to appreciate its breathtaking views.
Fountains Abbey dates back to 1132 AD, when a group of 13 Benedictine monks fled York in search of a simpler life. It operated as one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until 1539, when Henry VIII dissolved Catholic monasteries across the country.
The top 11 historical sites to visit in the UK, as listed by GO Outdoors, can be found below:
1. Dunnottar Castle2. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
3. SS Great Britain
4. Skara Brae
5. Rievaulx Abbey
6. Pembroke Castle
7. Ulster Folk Museum
8. York Minster
9. Tower of London
9. Windsor Castle
9. St Paul’s Cathedral
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