The centuries-old ruins of abbeys, churches, and priories always conjure up romantic images of a monastic and pious way of life. Throughout the United Kingdom, the remains of many of these religious buildings stand as a legacy of the Reformation, when Henry VIII disbanded numerous monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in the 1530s. Today, these ecclesiastical wonders serve as evocative reminders of a distant past and rank among the most compelling of visitor attractions.
Click through this gallery and admire the ruins of some of the UK's greatest places of worship.