Canal Leaflet.Indd
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Tour This project is supported by: supported is project This h Towpat 268418 01757 contact Society [email protected]. For information about the Selby Civic Civic Selby the about information For [email protected]. at Selby library. Contact them on 0845 034 9540 or www.selby. or 9540 034 0845 on them Contact library. Selby at Selby Canal Selby a huge range of sources and expertise concerning local history history local concerning expertise and sources of range huge a www.groundwork-northyorkshire. org.uk. Alternatively there is is there Alternatively org.uk. www.groundwork-northyorkshire. or at at or 703758 01757 on e Yorkshir North Groundwork contact ets ets leafl these in covered topics the all on information further For ment, is liable to change. to liable is ment, time of writing in spring 2009, but as with all the built environ- built the all with as but 2009, spring in writing of time The maps used are illustrative only. Information is accurate at the the at accurate is Information only. illustrative are used maps The brought to light. to brought ences, the often-hidden history that is all around us can be be can us around all is that history often-hidden the ences, u- infl these absorbed have developments new how at looking manufacturing and transport. By observing what remains, and and remains, what observing By transport. and manufacturing Selby has a rich and proud heritage in shipbuilding, agriculture, agriculture, shipbuilding, in heritage proud and rich a has Selby Selby’s hub. Selby’s First Rate Ousegate: Ousegate: Rate First stroll along the street that was was that street the along stroll street-side signs and symbols. and signs street-side Shopfront: the on Signs & Symbols unlock the mystery of of mystery the unlock and events in Selby’s history. Selby’s in events and Plaque Parade: Plaque a tour around sites linked with famous people people famous with linked sites around tour a architecture Selby: Century 20th Some surprising examples of modern modern of examples surprising Some Heritage ets in the series are: series the in ets leafl other The advisable beyond Burn. Take care near to the water. the to near care Take Burn. beyond advisable Hidden Hidden rm from Selby to Burn, but beyond Burn, it is uneven. Cycles are not not are Cycles uneven. is it Burn, beyond but Burn, to Selby from rm fi for the Selby – Doncaster service on www.arriva.co.uk . The path is is path The . www.arriva.co.uk on service Doncaster – Selby the for Selby’s transport. Call Selby Tourist Information on 0845 034 9540, or look look or 9540, 034 0845 on Information Tourist Selby Call transport. bus service runs along the A19 to allow a return to Selby using public public using Selby to return a allow to A19 the along runs service bus shown on the map. There is only roadside parking in Haddlesey. A A Haddlesey. in parking roadside only is There map. the on shown ve miles. Car parking areas are are areas parking Car miles. ve fi than more of walk linear a is This This et is part of a series covering Selby’s Hidden Heritage. Hidden Selby’s covering series a of part is et leafl The was completed after three years’ Selby Canal Intriguing sculpture (16) presages a picnic spot, at Burn A fi ngerpost (8) for the Trans Pennine Trail from Selby to construction in 1778. Such was the rejoicing in town that large Bridge (17), where the modern A19 crosses. crowds and fi reworks greeted the arrival of the fi rst boat, and Hornsea is at the end of Canal Road. Long distance footpaths all the dignitaries had a slap up meal in town! Until around like this became popular around the country in the 1980s. What is now the A19 was a turnpike road in the heyday of the canal. A turnpike road charged a toll to use it, just like the 1830, trade in Selby fl ourished as goods fl owed from the West Beyond Bawtry Road Bridge (9) is an industrial area Riding through Selby to Goole and Hull. new M6 or the London congestion charge. As road surfaces (10) on the right. Factories used the canal to receive and improved, and turnpike taxes were taken off, road travel transport goods. On the far bank, pleasure boats (11) can The towpath was originally for horses to trudge whilst pulling became favoured. moor or be serviced. vessels containing coal, grain or textiles. Sadly for Selby, the Across the bridge is the defunct Anchor Inn (18) formerly canal was made only four feet deep. This was too shallow Further on, the Selby to Doncaster railway crosses the canal. a favoured stopping off point for boaters, walkers and the and the cut was also too narrow. As traffi c increased, traders Concern about possible damage caused by subsidence due many anglers who use the fi shing platforms regularly spaced caused the Aire and Calder Canal to be built, linking Leeds to the Selby coalfi eld in the 1980s meant the East Coast Main along the canal. directly with Goole, cutting out Selby entirely. Line was diverted. You could catch the bus back to Selby from here also. At the side of the towpath, brambles and crab apples thrive Walking by the canal allows you to see how roads, railways as the path moves into more open countryside. On hot days If you continue along the path, surroundings become increasingly rural. Swans, mallards, herons and coots are and footpaths, as well as industry, have evolved since the 1780s. in the summer, dragonfl ies and butterfl ies fl it around the often seen in the vicinity. A milepost (19) shows ‘7’. This is All direction references apply when walking from Selby to chalky path. Haddlesey. seven miles from Bank Dole Junction on the Aire and Calder On the right, in the distance, St. Wilfrid’s church and Brayton canal system. Barff can be seen. “Barff” means burial mound. The small hill In about a mile, a stone-arched bridge (20) takes a farm and nature reserve give a fi ne view over the Vale of Selby. track over to Burton Hall, site of a medieval manor. A few Start this fi ve mile linear walk at Selby Lock (1). Transfer Brayton Bridge (12) is just over a mile from Selby. There is hundred yards along, the modern East Coast Main Line between the canal and the River Ouse for York and Hull took a car park, picnic area, and sculpture (13) that celebrates the Bridge (21) takes a high speed track across. Compare place here. However, the fi erce currents and tides in the Ouse canal environment, and the leisure opportunities now available. ancient and modern styles! could make this movement diffi cult. Walk across the lock and in front of the 19th century Lock Keeper’s cottages (2) to see You could walk up to Brayton to visit church, Barff or return to A small mooring point and benches are at Gateforth part of the solution. Ahead, craft are moored in what remains Selby using the bus that runs hourly Mon-Sat and two-hourly Landing (22), and a footpath leads to the village. of the Lazy Cut (3). on Sundays. The towpath is now well above canal level, giving a fi ne view across the plain. Hereabouts, the bank of the canal was made Cranes transferred cargo from canal barges into boats waiting The new by-pass crosses the canal. Compare its abutments to of sandy material that silted up the waterway and meant on the river bank so saving the diffi cult and time-consuming those a little further along the path for the former rail bridge constant bank re-building. use of the lock. Along the riverver are the remremains of these (14) of the spur that linked Thorpe, Drax and Goole. Used wharves (4). mainly as a siding, bridge and line were removed around 1960. Paper House Bridge (23) is a further half mile or so, and West Haddlesey is another half mile ahead. Return over thehe lock, turn left, and walk along the towpath. Clamber up onto the mound, and look towards Brayton. On your rightght are neww fl ats (5) on the site of a shipyard. Boat There’s no sign of the rail line that existed only 50 years ago, Pass Tankards Bridge (24), named after a local family, and constructiontion ceased in the 1950s, but the site has only recently but the prehistoric barff is still clear to view! built to maintain links between the two Haddleseys after the been redeveloped.edeveloped. Street names refl ect the nautical heritage Semi circular stone constructions jut out into the canal. These coming of the canal. Just beyondeyond theth swing bridge (6(6) as thee canal goes alongside are examples of several drainage knuckles (15). A large Locks (25) linking the canal to the River Aire mark the end Shipyardyard RoaRoad there is a sculpturetu and paving stones (7) pipe goes under the canal to make sure that surrounding fi elds of the cut. They can be carefully investigated. Downstream, do not fl ood. createdreated by local schoolchildren. Thesehese susummarise the history of shallows make river navigation diffi cult, which was another good reason to build the canal. thehe canal and its effect and infl uencence on SeSelby. There’s plenty to The presence of these knuckles meant that the canal could takeake in. Seating here allows you too do thathat whilst you feed the not be deepened when required as barge loads increased Alternatively, treat yourself to a picnic or a small version of geese,eese, ducks and swans.