A historic abbey in the county is one of the country’s most popular, according to a new study.

Battle Abbey is a partially ruined abbey which was built on the site of the Battle of Hastings.

Nestled just off the High Street in Battle, a small town near Hastings, the abbey is Grade I listed.

The monastery there was established in 1094.

It was virtually destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 under King Henry VIII. 

Now, it is run by English Heritage, which hosts tours of the abbey buildings and ruins.

The site also has a visitor centre complete with film exhibits, audio tours, a monks’ gatehouse and other recovered artefacts.

A new ranking has put the abbey in the top ten in the UK for its aesthetic value.

The abbey is one of the most “Instagrammable” in the country, with more than 12,000 posts tagging the location.

Research commissioned by CasinoRocket.com, an Australian online comparison site, revealed the other abbeys with lots of posts on Instagram tagging them.

A spokesman for the company said of Battle Abbey: “Its serene gardens and solemn ruins present a unique canvas for Instagram enthusiasts.”

The abbey is a scheduled monument, meaning it has national importance and is protected.

It now hosts families and groups on days out, with a designated children’s discovery room, a café and an outdoor playground.

Here's the list of the most popular abbeys in the country:

  1. Westminster Abbey (356,015 tags)
  2. Whitby Abbey (115,241 tags)
  3. Bath Abbey (97,306  tags)
  4. Bolton Abbey  (89,032 tags)
  5. Fountains Abbey (65,657 tags)
  6. Tintern Abbey (35,169 tags)
  7. Kirkstall Abbey (32,912 tags)
  8. Glastonbury Abbey (16,552 tags)
  9. Battle Abbey (12,579 tags)
  10. Rievaulx Abbey (12,524 tags)