Lots of people were in the Museum Gardens in York searching for the ten Ghosts in the Gardens. The jilted bride in this shot is one of the easier ones to find, stood as she is at the top of the steps into the upper part of the hospitium. She holds in her hand a ring that she is looking at quite intently.
The Hospitium was built as part of St Mary’s Abbey in the medieval period. The name Hospitium (related to hospitality) suggests that the building was used for housing guests. These would have been people such as merchants who were not allowed to stay in the main abbey with the monks.
Originally, the Hospitium would have been very close to the River Ouse and the archway that can be found to the south east would have led to a water gate – allowing boats up very close. Being this close to the river and the shape of the building suggests that it may have been a warehouse as well as a guest building.
The stone ground floor mostly dates to the 1300s with the water gate arch added around 1500. The stone building would have been necessary given that the River Ouse would have flooded even more regularly in the past.
Since the dissolution of the abbey the Hospitium has gone through numerous stages of reuse, disrepair and renovation. In 1828, the newly founded Yorkshire Philosophical Society made significant repairs and housed their collections at the Hospitium before and after the building of the Yorkshire Museum.
Today, the Hospitium is a charming and award-winning venue for weddings, parties and other events.
Information about the Hospitium is from the Museum Gardens website.
Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated.
I'm hoping there is a dry period so I can go back for more photos. Sadly, very little chance of fog which would probably give a good effect, but I don't fancy going in the rain!
Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated.
I'm hoping there is a dry period so I can go back for more photos. Sadly, very little chance of fog which would probably give a good effect, but I don't fancy going in the rain!
Ian
great history behind this building
Thank you Nina. These sculptures gave us a different focus as we walked around the gardens. It is surprising what else you see as you look for these.
Ian