A RUINED North Yorkshire monastery has been named as the UK's joint best historical attraction.

Fountains Abbey beat World Heritage sites such as Stonehenge and internationally renowned attractions such as Windsor Castle and the Tower of London.

York Minster didn't make it into the top 20. It came 28th, just above Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

The list was compiled by consumer organisation Which. Its members rated attractions according to their entertainment and visitor engagement value, facilities, food and drink, lack of crowds, and value for money.

Both Fountains Abbey and the Royal Yacht Britannia were rated at 88 per cent, with the North Yorkshire attraction getting five stars, the top mark, for facilities and lack of crowds. Its restaurant and cafe rated three out of five stars, with the other categories getting four stars.

Castle Howard just missed making the top 50, getting only two stars for entertainment and visitor engagement and value for money. It got four stars for its facilities and lack of crowds. The stately home ranked higher than Scarborough Cliff Railway which was ranked in 55th place.

Which's review of Fountains Abbey says: "What's most remarkable about Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire is the sheer scale of what remains of the Cistercian monastery. For a religious order so devoted to simplicity, the detailed masonry and sheer grandeur are staggering.

A river path takes visitors to the abbey's emerald lawns, from where you have unfettered access to the 12th-century foundations. They grow higher as you delve deeper, moss and vines creeping over the sandstone to create the perfect atmospheric touch.

Romantics should aim to arrive by the 10am opening, when a mist still hangs over the grass. Or wait for a blanket of snow, when the site is most tranquil."

It doesn't mention Studley Royal with its water gardens and deer park, which is also part of the estate managed jointly by English Heritage (Fountains Abbey) and National Trust (the rest).