York Historic Environment Record

YORK SE5952SE MUSEUM GARDENS 1112-1/12/779 St Mary's Abbey remains: Hospitium 14/06/54 and Watergate (Formerly Listed as: MUSEUM GARDENS The Hospitium and Water Gate) GV II* Possible Abbey guesthouse and watergate attached to north-east corner; now part of The Yorkshire Museum (qv). Lower storey of house C14, upper storey C15, partly reconstructed and heavily restored 1930-31: gateway c1500. MATERIALS: lower storey of hospitium of magnesian limestone ashlar on chamfered plinth; upper storey timber-framed with rendered infilling; plain tile roof. Gateway of re-used magnesian limestone, inner face of upper storey of orange wall-tiles: unroofed. 6-bay hall and aisled undercroft. EXTERIOR: Hospitium: 2-storey 6-bay front, with exposed timber-frame to hall. Undercroft has rebuilt double chamfered doorway with plank double doors on iron strap hinges in 2-centred moulded arch. Windows to left are single slits in chamfered openings, to right of 2 lights in double chamfered openings. Access to hall by reconstructed external staircase to 2-centred timber doorway with double doors on C-hinges. Windows are of 4 lights. River front: repeats main front without doors. To left return, undercroft has three slit lights, hall 3-light window flanked by 1-light windows: to right return, three 2-light windows to undercroft, to hall 2-light outer windows, 5-light centre window. All multi-light windows to undercroft have chamfered stone mullions: to hall, timber mullions. Watergate: incorporated in wall approximately 8 metres long, between 6.5 and 7.5 metres high on chamfered plinth, stepped up at left end. Cart arch is 2 centred, of 2 moulded and chamfered orders beneath coved hoodmould: smaller foot-gate to left is similar: both are rebated on inner side. Further left is decayed square-headed window opening. On first floor two square-headed windows of 2 trefoiled lights, one now fragmentary. INTERIOR: of Hospitium: two colonnades of octagonal columns with moulded bases and capitals support hall floor. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of York: RCHME: Outside the City Walls East of the Ouse: HMSO London: 1975-: 13-14). Listing NGR: SE5983852070