“It's a real part of Yorkshire” - Study ranks Fountains Abbey as second-top attraction in county
A new study has revealed Fountains Abbey as the second-top attraction in Yorkshire saying ‘few attractions offer as rich an experience’ as the World Heritage site which was just four points away from the National Railway Museum in York, which took 1st place.
The study was undertaken by experts at holiday cottage company Wheelwrights York, which combined the number of reviews with average ratings from both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews.
The abbey received an incredible 176 out of 200 with thousands of positive reviews ‘praising its breath-taking beauty’.
80% of reviews on TripAdvisor rated the attraction as five stars, with Google Reviews giving an average review rating of 4.8.
Lovers of the renowned history and heritage site will also have been pleased when recent news unveiled plans to expand and improve the abbey’s garden, at a cost of £3.5 million.
Justin Scully, general manager for Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is positive the appeal is set to grow each year.
He said:”I think what's so appealing about Fountains is the love people have for the outdoors and nature, partially after COVID.
“I’d like to think, just like the Railway Museum offers, that it's our excellent service.
“The staff and the volunteers provide all our visitors something exceptional, whether that’s local people who have been many times or tourists visiting for the first time.
“It's a real part of Yorkshire.
“As well as being beautiful it's telling people something about what it is to be from Yorkshire.
“It’s part of our thinking.
As Fountains Abbey moves into Autumn and Winter a popular event known as ‘Fountains by Floodlight’ offers an evening which promises to be ‘a feast for all the senses’.
The event, which begins in October, celebrated its 90th birthday last year and has helped to establish the abbey as one of the best attractions in Yorkshire
Mr Scully said:“It offers that chance for people to experience the Abbey lit up at night, it’s absolutely brilliant.
“The gardens are also designed to look great in the Autumn.
“We all talk about Autumn colours, the garden is purposefully designed to look good as the seasons change.”
Booking for Fountains by Floodlight is recommended as early as possible to avoid disappointment.