One of my projects this week has involved looking in more detail at the history of Selby. It has a beautiful abbey and stands on the River Ouse which has played such a large part in its development. I remember in earlier days queueing to pay 4d [I think] to cross the toll bridge by car although today it is toll free. The bridge always felt very fragile and rattled horribly as you crossed.
Selby had the earliest railway station in Yorkshire, built in 1834 and was also a prosperous port until the opening of the Aire and Calder canal to Goole eventually took much of its river trade.
This charming drawing dates from 1842 and shows a train crossing the newly opened [in 1840] bridge across the Ouse, linking Selby by rail to Hull.
Hello, do you mind me asking where that print of Selby Toll Bridge is from? I'd love to be able to track down a print. It reminds me of a similar print my grandmother had on a placemat taken from A New and Complete History of the County of York (drawn by N. Whittock and engraved by W. J. Cooke). You can see it on this page: http://www.heatons-of-tisbury.co.uk/yorks12.html
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed looking at this blog.
Thanks for posting this image.
ReplyDeleteI originally saw it in Selby library in a book
about the town's history.
Mac