Padlock

The small yellow padlock plus the sunlight on the foliage caught my eye on this derelict building. 

View from the Gallery

The York Mechanics' Institute was founded in 1827 to "deliver scientific lectures to the middle and lower classes". It failed to fire the public imagination, and in an effort to attract more attendees changed it's name in 1898 to the Institute for Popular Science & Literature, and altered it's remit to include more topics focussed around the arts.  From 1893 to 1927 York City Library was housed in a portion of this building. The library was York's contribution to Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations, (not that she had much time for York but that is a story for another day). It is a handsome Grade II listed building and now home to The Gallery Nightclub and the York Dungeon visitor experience.

Ingram’s Hospital

Built by Sir Arthur Ingram in 1630-2 as an almshouse to house 10 poor widows, money was also provided "for the women to have a new gown every 2 years". The building was damaged during the Civil War siege of York and restored in 1650. The much earlier (Norman) doorway in the middle tower may have come from Holy Trinity Priory, an early example of architectural salvage.

Charles I is thought to have stayed in the building in 1642. More recently it was converted to flats although all the shuttered windows on the ground floor suggest it may currently be empty.