The
Selby Canal
The
Selby Canal is to be found running
6 miles between West Haddley and Selby in Yorkshire linking the Ouse to the
River Aire and is officially part of the Aire and Calder Navigation. It is a
broad canal capable of taking boats to about of 78ft in length with a draft
of 3ft 6 inches and provides a useful passage to York from the River Aire.
The original route was designed for the carriage of coal and manufactured
goods from Leeds to the Humber as well as providing a convenient passage
from the River Aire to York., though commercial traffic has come to an end
leaving it purely to Leisure craft.
The first survey for the route was probably made by Thomas Yeoman in Jan
1769, who was investigating the prospects of a canal from Leeds to Selby,
with another survey by John Longbotham following in December 1772 with an
application made to Parliament for the Leeds to Selby proposal in the same
year. In 1773 William drew up plans for a West Haddley to Selby canal with
an Act of parliament authorising the project being passed in 1774.
Work on the new canal started in January 1775 under the supervision of
William Jessop who was appointed Chief Engineer with John Gott as Resident
Engineer with the canal opening in 1778
1781 to 1782 saw further development of the canal with John Gott being
instructed to build Staithes ( quays), ware houses , cranes and lay-byes.
Followed by a counting House, riiging House ,Tarring House, Sailmakers Shop
and other facilities with William Jessop consulted later in 1792 on the
construction of a proper Dock. So by this time Selby was becoming a busy
center of commerce on the waterway.
1826 saw trade being lost to the larger cut being made from Knottingley to
Goole, which effectively brought an end to an era of prosperity for the
Selby Canal, which was still improved with new locks, plus widening and
deepening of the channel in 1828, presumably in an effort to stem the loss
of trade.
The coming of the railway in 1870 brought the final end to any significant
commercial trade.
The waterway remains open and navigable for Leisure craft.