Goole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goole |
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From the top left: St John's Church, Market Hall, Boothferry Road and the Port of Goole with the "Salt & Pepper" towers in the background |
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 Goole
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| Population | 20,475 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SE746231 |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GOOLE |
| Postcode district | DN14 |
| Dialling code | 01405 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Goole is a busy port town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It sits right on the River Ouse. Long ago, it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
In 2021, about 20,475 people lived in Goole. The town is about 16 miles (26 km) north-east of Doncaster and 19 miles (31 km) south of York. It's also 29 miles (47 km) west of Hull.
Goole has the United Kingdom's furthest inland port. This means it's a port that's far from the sea, about 50 miles (80 km) from the North Sea. It can handle almost 2 million tonnes of goods every year. This makes it a very important port on England's east coast.
Goole is also connected to another town, Złotów in Poland. They are "twin towns," which means they have a special friendship. In the 1960s, Goole was also informally twinned with Gibraltar.
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History of Goole
What does Goole mean?
The name Goole was first written down in 1306 as Gull Lewth. Later, in 1362, it was called Gulle in Houke. The shorter, modern name Goole started being used around the 1530s.
The name comes from an old word, goule, which means 'a channel made by a stream'. This makes sense because the area has many land drains due to its flat ground.
How Goole Started
In the 1600s, a Dutch engineer named Cornelius Vermuyden changed the path of the River Don. He moved it north to the River Ouse between 1626 and 1629. He did this to drain the wet, marshy land of Hatfield Chase for King Charles I.
This new path, called the Dutch River, allowed barges to carry coal from the South Yorkshire Coalfield. The coal could then be moved to bigger ships. A new village called Goole grew up near where the rivers met.
Growing into a Town
In the 1820s, the Aire and Calder Navigation company decided to build a new canal. This canal would help transport coal from Knottingley. They also planned to build a new floating dock in Goole. This dock could handle larger ships that sailed on the sea.
The company hired engineer Thomas Hamond Bartholomew to build the canal and docks. He also planned a new town next to the docks for workers and sailors. The first building in this new part of Goole was the Banks Arms Hotel, built in 1824. Today, it's known as the Lowther Hotel.
When Goole port officially opened on July 20, 1826, only about 450 people lived there. Now, it's a town with around 18,000 residents!
Later, in 1863, a special system called the Tom Pudding was introduced. This system used special boats that could carry about 40 tonnes of coal. When these boats reached the docks, large hoists would lift them up. This allowed the coal to be dropped directly into bigger ships. This system was so good that it was used until 1985!
Education in Goole
Goole has several primary schools for younger children. It also has Goole High School for older students. For children with special needs, there's Riverside School, which teaches students from 2 to 19 years old.
If students want to continue their studies after high school, there are colleges in nearby towns like Selby, York, and Scunthorpe.
Getting Around Goole
In the past, railways were very important for Goole. A railway line was built from Pontefract and Wakefield in 1848. Another line connected Goole with Doncaster and Hull in 1870. These lines helped the port grow by moving coal and other goods.
Today, Goole railway station is a meeting point for two railway lines. You can catch trains to places like Hull Paragon Interchange, Doncaster, Sheffield, and Leeds.
Goole is also close to major roads. The M62 connects it to Hull in the east and Leeds in the west. The M18 runs west of Goole, linking it to South Yorkshire and other parts of England. Bus services also connect Goole to nearby towns and villages.
How Goole is Governed
Before 1974, Goole was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. After some changes to local government, it became part of the Humberside county.
Since 1996, Goole has been in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The town is represented by four councillors on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. These councillors help make decisions for the local area.
Goole is also part of the Goole and Pocklington area for the UK Parliament. This area is represented by a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons. An MP is a person elected to speak for the people in their area. Since 2024, David Davis, a Conservative, has been Goole's MP.
Famous Goole Landmarks
Goole has some very noticeable buildings. Its most famous landmarks are its two tall water towers, which people often call 'salt' and 'pepper'. The newer white water tower was once the biggest in Europe!
You can also see the tall steeple of Goole Parish Church from many parts of the town. There's a clock tower in the main shopping area, which was built in 1927. West Park is a lovely old park in the town, perfect for relaxing.
Goole's Economy
Goole has a good-sized town centre with many shops. You'll find well-known high street stores and smaller, independent shops. The main shopping area is Wesley Square, which is a pedestrian-only zone.
The town also has a modern shopping area, a leisure centre near the docks, and the Goole and District Hospital. For entertainment, there's a theatre and cinema called 'Junction', which opened in 2009.
Industry in Goole
Goole is known for making glass and is also a centre for farming. In the past, a large clothing factory was a big employer, but it closed down.
Now, Goole's industrial park, called Capitol Park / Goole36, has attracted some big companies. Guardian Industries built a glass-making factory here. Tesco also built a large distribution centre. These new businesses have created hundreds of jobs for people in Goole.
A new Morrisons supermarket opened in Goole in 2010. Also, a new railway rolling stock factory opened in 2024. This factory, run by Siemens Mobility, is building new trains for the Piccadilly line in London.
In 2023, a new factory for Metsä Tissue was announced. It will make toilet paper using wood from Nordic forests. This factory will be built over the next ten years.
Goole Docks
The Port of Goole is very important. It has three locks that keep the water in its 37 acres (150,000 m²) of docks at a steady depth of 6 metres (20 ft). This means the water level doesn't go up and down with the river tides.
Once ships are inside the port, there are eight docks with a total of 3 miles (4.8 km) of quayside. Next to the docks are large sheds where goods are stored. Many of these sheds have cranes to help move cargo. All eight docks have been used for business since they were built between 1826 and 1912.
For many years, the port mainly handled coal and related goods. But with less coal mining, the old Timber Pond became a marina called Goole Boathouse. It has space for 150 boats.
Today, the Port of Goole handles containers, exports steel, and imports timber from northern Europe. It has regular shipping services to countries like Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Sports in Goole
Goole has many sports clubs for young people and adults.
Goole Town Cricket Club has several teams. Their main team plays in the York & District Senior League.
If you like rugby, Goole RUFC has two teams. They play at Westfield Banks, which they share with Goole Tennis Club. From 2025, the Goole Vikings rugby league club will play in League 1.
Goole Tennis Centre is a club with nine tennis courts at the Westfield Banks site.
For football fans, Goole has two teams: Goole A.F.C. and Goole United A.F.C. They both play at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds.
Media in Goole
In Goole, you can watch TV channels like BBC One and ITV Yorkshire. You can also listen to local radio stations such as BBC Radio Humberside and Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire. There's even a special hospital radio station called Radio Medica.
The town has its own weekly newspaper, The Goole Times, which has been published since 1853.
Goole is also mentioned in the famous play An Inspector Calls, where the main character is named after the town.
Notable People from Goole
Many interesting people have connections to Goole:
- Nigel Adams, a former Member of Parliament, was born in Goole Hospital.
- Gavin Bryars, a composer and musician, was born in Goole.
- Roy Clarke, a comedy writer, lives in Goole.
- Nicky Featherstone, a professional footballer, was born in Goole.
- Anne Greaves (1889–1971) was a pioneering woman in quarrying who created artificial stone.
Images for kids
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St Joseph's Catholic Church
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Market Hall
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See also
In Spanish: Goole para niños
