Selby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Selby |
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Clockwise from top left: The Crescent, Selby Town Hall, aerial of Selby and Selby Abbey |
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 Coat of arms |
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 Selby
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| Population | 17,193 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SE614323 |
| • London | 162 mi (261 km) SE |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SELBY |
| Postcode district | YO8 |
| Dialling code | 01757 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | www.selbytowncouncil.gov.uk |
Selby is a busy market town in North Yorkshire, England. It's about 12 miles (19 km) south of the city of York, right on the River Ouse. In 2021, about 17,193 people lived there.
For a long time, Selby was part of an area called the West Riding of Yorkshire. From 1974 to 2023, it was the main office for the Selby District.
Selby used to have a big shipbuilding industry. It was also an important port on the Selby Canal, which helped bring goods from Leeds.
Contents
History of Selby
How Selby Started
People have found many old things in Selby, including items from Roman times. It's thought that Selby began as a settlement called Seletun. This name was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle way back in 779 AD.
The name 'Selby' first appeared around 1030 as Seleby. Later, around 1050, it was called Selbi. The name likely comes from a Scandinavian word meaning 'sallow tree settlement'.
Selby Grows Up
Selby is on a main road heading north from the middle of England. It's also famous as the birthplace of King Henry I, the fourth son of William the Conqueror. He was born here around 1068 or 1069.
William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda helped start Selby Abbey in 1069. This was unusual because it was far from where they usually traveled. A special part of the abbey is the 14th-century Washington Window. It shows the family coat of arms of George Washington's ancestors. Some people think this design influenced the Stars and Stripes flag.
Legend says that Benedict of Auxerre founded the abbey after seeing three swans on a lake in Selby. He thought this was a sign of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That's why three swans are on the official crest of Selby Abbey.
The abbey was closed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. Most of its buildings were torn down. However, the main part of the abbey church survived. In 1618, it became Selby's local church.
During the English Civil War, Parliament's army captured Selby's Royalist soldiers in the Battle of Selby on April 11, 1644. Other historical spots include a cholera burial ground near the abbey and the market cross. The Market Place has been there since the early 14th century. The Crescent, a curved street, was planned in the early 1800s. A local man named John Audus got the idea after seeing a similar crescent in Bath.
Recent Times
Selby is growing, with new homes and shops being built. The riverfront area is also being updated with modern houses and apartments.
The Big Train Crash
The 2001 Great Heck rail crash is often called the Selby rail crash. It happened a few miles south of Selby, near the village of Great Heck. Selby was the closest big town to the accident. On February 28, 2001, a vehicle crashed off the M62 motorway onto a railway track. A passenger train hit it, and then another train, carrying goods, crashed into the wreckage.
How Selby is Governed
| Selby Town Council | |
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Seal
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Town Council
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| History | |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Leadership | |
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Mayor
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Wendy Nichols (L)
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Town clerk
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Gill Bell
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List of councillors
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| Structure | |
| Seats | 17 councillors |
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13 / 17
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4 / 17
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| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large | |
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Last election
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4 May 2023 |
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Next election
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6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Selby Town Hall | |
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Selby has a local government called the Selby Town Council. The town is split into three areas: north, south, and west. Each area has councillors who help make decisions for the town. These 17 councillors look after things like parks, play areas, and some street lights. The Mayor of Selby is chosen every year by the town council members.
Before April 2023, Selby was part of a two-level council system. Now, a single council called North Yorkshire Council handles all local services.
In the UK Parliament, Selby is part of the Selby constituency. Since July 2023, the local Member of Parliament (MP) is Keir Mather.
Selby's Location and Environment
Selby is on the tidal River Ouse. This area of Yorkshire is known as the Humberhead Levels. Major roads like the A63 (from Leeds to Hull) and the A19 (from Doncaster to York) used to meet in Selby. However, a bypass opened in 2004, which helped reduce traffic in the town.
The River Ouse can be used by boats all the way up to York. Because of this, the old toll bridge had to be a swing bridge that could open for ships. This swing bridge used to cause big traffic jams. The bypass has made traffic much better in Selby.
Selby's importance as a market town has changed over the years. Its time as a major coal mining center has also ended. Selby is close to both York and Leeds. Many people visit Selby because of Selby Abbey. This has led to a lot of new building and improvements in the town.
New homes are being built in areas like Staynor Hall and around nearby villages. More houses have also been built along the riverfront. This area used to be empty after the shipbuilding industry declined.
Floods
In recent years, Selby and the nearby village of Barlby have had serious flood problems. New flood barriers have been built in Barlby since a big flood in November 2000. These barriers help protect the area.
Places of Worship
Selby Abbey is one of the biggest parish churches in Britain. It is even larger than some cathedrals.
Selby has several other Christian churches. These include King's Church, St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Portholme Methodist / URC Church, and St James' Church. The Salvation Army also opened a church in 2015.
Nearby villages like Brayton and Barlby also have their own churches. Selby Churches Together helps run the Selby and District Food Bank.
Selby's Economy
Selby's wealth used to come from its location on the tidal River Ouse. Selby had a big shipbuilding industry and was an important port on the Selby Canal. This canal connected Selby to the River Aire at Haddlesey, bringing trade from Leeds.
Ships were often launched sideways into the river because there wasn't much space. A famous ship built here was the Ross Tiger, a fishing boat now in Grimsby. The last ship was launched from Cochrane and Son's shipyard in 1998. The shipyard closed, and its large cranes fell in strong winds in 2001. Many of the old shipyard buildings are still used by small businesses today.
For a while, Selby was the top coal-mining area in the UK. It had very modern mining technology. The Selby Coalfield was the first new mine in the UK for many years.
Wistow Colliery, part of the Selby Complex, holds the UK record for coal mined in one week. In 1995, it mined over 200,000 tonnes! The Selby Complex closed on May 14, 2004, even though there was a need for coal. The company said it closed because of high costs and falling coal prices.
Today, shipbuilding and coal mining are no longer active in Selby. The main income for the area now comes from farming and from people who live in Selby but travel to work in cities like Leeds, Wakefield, and York.
In recent years, new shopping areas have opened in Selby. The Abbey Walk Shopping Centre added more shops and parking in the town center. The Three Lakes Retail Park has also opened on the edge of town and is still growing.
Getting Around Selby
Selby is a transport hub for the local area. It has a bus station and a railway station.
Trains from Selby railway station go directly to London King's Cross, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, York, and Hull. Different train companies run these services.
Buses in Selby are mainly run by Arriva Yorkshire. They offer local services and longer routes to places like Goole, Leeds, Pontefract, Wakefield, and York.
In July 2001, work began on the Selby bypass. This road helps traffic go around the town instead of through it. The project was finished in July 2004.
Fun Things to Do and Sports
Selby Town Hall has been a music venue since 2003. It hosts concerts, dance shows, plays, and comedy acts. They also have local band nights and an annual "Battle Of The Bands" competition.
There used to be four cinemas in Selby, but the last one closed in the early 1980s. In 2009, a group started a cinema project called Selby Globe. They are also working to save the Abbot's Staith, a 15th-century warehouse. They hope to turn it into a place for community events and tourism.
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Selby's main sports team is Selby Town F.C., nicknamed 'the Robins'. They play football at the Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium. The club started in 1919. Their best season was in 1953–54 when they won the Yorkshire Football League and had their biggest crowd of 7,000 fans.
Selby also has a rugby union club, Selby RUFC, which plays at Sandhill Lane Stadium. They have many teams, from juniors to adults. Selby also has a rugby league club, Selby Warriors.
Selby Cricket Club also plays at Sandhill Lane Stadium. They have several senior and junior teams that play in local leagues.
The Selby and District Motor Club meets at Breighton Airfield. Members take part in different motor sports like rallies and sprints. The club organizes an annual event called the Three Swans Rally.
News and Radio
Local news and TV shows for Selby come from BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire.
The town's local radio stations include BBC Radio York, Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, Capital Yorkshire, YO1 Radio, and Selby Radio. Selby Radio is a community-based station.
Selby's oldest newspaper is the Selby Times. It covers news from the Selby area and nearby villages. In 2014, the Goole and Selby Times was one of only three newspapers in the country that actually sold more copies.
Friends Around the World
Selby is twinned with two towns in other countries:
- Carentan, France
- Filderstadt, Germany
Famous People from Selby
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See also
In Spanish: Selby para niños
