A national magazine named a Norfolk ruined abbey among its list of the best historical sites for enjoying wildlife this summer. 

BBC Wildlife included St Benet’s Abbey, on the banks of River Bure, in its survey of locations.

It said the abbey had a "profound" effect on the Norfolk landscape, citing the monks that dug peat from the area for use as fuel, with the resulting excavations eventually flooding to form the Norfolk Broads.

The 10th century ruin is surrounded by marshland which is home to herons and marsh harriers. 

READ MORE: Extra protection for historic Broads mill at risk of lightning strikes

Short-eared and barn owls can be seen in the fields in winter and flocks of pink-footed geese arrive in autumn.

The wider countryside is also home to a breeding population of common cranes.

Over the centuries, wealthy landowners donated more and more land to the abbey and its power and influence grew across 76 separate parishes.

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, its possessions were seized by the crown and passed to the Diocese of Norwich. Within a few years, the monks had dispersed.

In the 18th century, a windmill was built inside the ruined gatehouse, creating the distinctive Broads landmark which remains today.

The abbey was listed among sites in the Cotswolds, Wales, and the Scottish Highlands.