- Selby
Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Selby
static_
static_image_caption=Selby Abbey
static_image_2 =
static_image_2_caption = Arms of Selby Town Council
latitude= 53.781789
longitude= -1.070309
civil_parish= Selby
population = 13,012 (2001 Census)
shire_district= Selby
shire_county=North Yorkshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster= Selby
post_town= SELBY
postcode_district = YO8
postcode_area= YO
dial_code= 01757
os_grid_reference= SW810325
london_distance=
website= [http://www.selbytowncouncil.gov.uk www.selbytowncouncil.gov.uk]Selby is a town and
civil parish inNorth Yorkshire ,England . Situated convert|12.1|mi|km|1 south of the city ofYork , along the course of theRiver Ouse , Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, [cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=798286&c=Selby&d=16&e=15&g=477192&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |title=Population details for Selby Parish |accessdate=2007-08-22 |work=Office for National Statistics |author=UK Government] most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire , much of the wealth of the town was facilitated via Selby's position upon the banks of the River Ouse. In the past, Selby had a largeshipbuilding industry and was an important port, for the most part due to theSelby Canal which brought trade from the city ofLeeds .History
King Henry I, fourth son of
William the Conqueror , was born in Selby in either 1068 or 1069.The town of Selby is dominated by
Selby Abbey which was founded byBenedict in 1069 and subsequently built by thede Lacy family. It is one of the largest parish churches in Britain and is larger than several cathedrals. A notable feature of the Abbey is the 14th century Washington Window, featuring the heraldic arms of the ancestors ofGeorge Washington , the first president of theUnited States : the design is often cited as an influence for the Stars and Stripes flag.The Abbey was founded when Benedict saw three swans on a lake in Selby, and he saw it as a sign of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That is why the official crest of Selby is three swans. There was also a very important battle in the
English Civil War , named the Battle of Selby. The field where the battle took place is still there today. There are many other historical sites, like theCholera burial ground , the market cross and the local school,Selby High School .Selby is expanding to become a large town, with new job prospects at the European
Science Park in Burn [http://www.yorkshire-ess.org.uk/] and the expansion of the town as far as the bypass, although this has resulted in the loss of some trade from the town centre. New houses and shops are being built on the present town's outskirts. Meanwhile the riverfront area is being revamped with modern housing and fashionable flats.Geography
Selby is a commuter town due to its proximity to both
York andLeeds . Its popularity as a tourist destination, due toSelby Abbey , has led to a large amount of development and renovation in the town and surrounding area.The
residential areas of Selby have also been subject to expansion and development. A large amount of new houses and apartments have been developed in the Holmes Lane area along with more at various points along the riverfront. The latter is the result of an ongoing project to improve an area that had been largely derelict since the decline of the shipbuilding industry. More housing is currently under development on the south side of town between the Three Lakesretail park and the bypass.Economy
Much of the historical wealth of the town is based upon its position upon the banks of the tidal River Ouse. In the past, Selby had a large
shipbuilding industry and was an important port, due to theSelby Canal which brought trade from Leeds. The currentGreenpeace craft bearing the name "Rainbow Warrior" was built in Selby in 1957. [cite web
url = http://www.greenpeace.org/international/about/ships/the-rainbow-warrior
title = The Rainbow Warrior
accessdate = 2008-04-15
publisher =Greenpeace ] Although much of the infrastructure of each remain both in and around Selby, both industries have long since been defunct. Present day, the main income for the area is derived fromarable farming and as a commuter area forLeeds ,Wakefield , andYork .For a time, Selby was the leading coal
mining area in the UK and featured some of the most advanced mining technology in Europe. It was the first new mine in the UK for decades and seen as a rejoinder to widespread concern that the British mining industry was effectively shutting down, particularly following the defeat of theUK miners' strike (1984-1985) .Wistow Colliery, which was part of the Selby Complex, holds the UK record for coal mined in one week — 200,743 tonnes in 1995. The 110 square mile (285 km²) Selby Complex, employing 3,000 miners plus contractors and ancillary staff, closed on Friday
14 May 2004 despite rising demand for coal in the UK.UK Coal , the pits' owner, said closure was due to rising costs caused by deteriorating geological conditions and the falling price of coal. In its final years, the company listed a £30 million loss on the plant.Trade and commerce
In recent years, Selby has seen the development of new shopping areas both in the town centre and on the outskirts. The Abbey Walk Shopping Centre was developed on recreational land that runs parallel to the town centre. The expansion not only increased the volume of town centre shops but also provided large scale, convenient parking for the town centre. In more recent years, the Three Lakes Retail Park has opened on the outskirts of town and continues to expand with more developments under construction. Two of the town's supermarkets,
Tesco andMorrison's are both looking to expand their stores, the latter meaning the re-siting of the Abbey Primary School.Landmarks
Selby Town Hall is regarded as being one of the best live venues in the area (as officially recognised by winning the Yorkshire Evening Post's Nightlife Award). Selby Town Council has been running this venue since 2003, with regular performances of music, dance, drama and comedy. Especially popular are the local band nights, that regularly draw big crowds, as does the annual Battle Of The Bands.
Transport
Selby is the transport hub for the Selby District and features a bus and railway station running routes to many place around the area. Train services run from
Selby railway station run direct toLondon King's Cross ,Leeds ,Manchester Piccadilly ,York and other destinations.Buses
Arriva operate an extensive network of local and regional buses, linking Selby with [http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/415.htm York] , [http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/402-403.htm Leeds] , [http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/401.htm Goole] , [http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/405.htm Doncaster] and [http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/450.htm Pontefract/Wakefield] running at least every hourelby bypass
In July 2001 construction began on the Selby bypass having been authorised in 1993 for development. The bypass runs from the A19 at
Barlby along the southern edge of Selby, connecting onto the A63 atThorpe Willoughby . The project was delayed due to technical difficulties with theswing bridge over the River Ouse but was eventually completed in July 2004.Technology
On
14 September ,2005 , Selby District Council was conditionally granted outline planning permission for astate of the art science facility [http://www.yorkshire-ess.org.uk/] to be built on the site of Burn Gliding Club.Floods
In recent years there have been serious flood problems in Selby and the adjoining village of
Barlby . The threat in the Barlby area has been alleviated to some extent by work on improved flood barriers following the major flood of November 2000elby rail crash
The towns of Selby and Goole are negatively associated with the so-called
Selby rail crash , which happened a few miles south of Selby at a village calledGreat Heck near theM62 motorway . OnFebruary 28 ,2001 , a vehicle crashed off the M62 down an embankment on to a railway track, where it was struck by an oncoming passenger train heading to London. The accident was then compounded by a second collision involving a goods train. Neither train was travelling to, from, or through Selby and the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident had no connection with Selby, but Selby is the closest major town to the accident site.Hobson murders
Selby and its surrounding area came to national prominence once again through another tragedy on
18 July ,2004 , this time through four exceptionally violent murders carried out by former binmanMark Hobson . Hobson, 34 at the time, killed his girlfriend Claire Sanderson, 27, and her twin sister Diane at a flat in the nearby village ofCamblesforth . He subsequently murdered an elderly couple, James and Joan Britton, at their home in the village ofStrensall , nearYork . Hobson was later sentenced to life imprisonment and the trial judge recommended that he should never be released. The High Court later agreed with this recommendation despite Hobson's appeal for them to take a different view. Hobson is one of only a tiny number of "whole life" prisoners who admitted to their crimes at the earliest opportunity.ports
Selby's major sporting team is Selby Town Football Club, playing in the Northern Counties East Premier Division and based at Flaxley Road Stadium. Selby Town will soon move to a new larger stadium which will be built on East Common Lane which will be situated next to Selby College, Tate & Lyle and Selby Bypass for improved access.
They recently lost the Otisdale Cup to higher league rivals Goole AFC.
Rugby union club Selby RUFC andrugby league club Selby Warriors are based at Sandhill Lane Stadium.Selby Cricket Club who share Sandhill Lane Stadium have four senior league teams, with the 1st and 2nd X1 playing in the York and District Senior League, the 1st X1 in Division 4 and the 2nd X1 in Division 5. Also the 3rd X1 play in Division 4 and 4th X1 play in Division 5 of the York Vale League. Also the team run two junior teams the under 11s and 15s which both play in the York and District Junior League and also an evening league team in the Howdenshire Evening League (West Division).
Twin towns
Selby is twinned with:
*flagicon|France
Carentan ,France
*flagicon|GermanyFilderstadt ,Germany Noted people from Selby
*Robert Aske, rebel leader, lawyer
*Robert of Selby , courtier,chancellor of Sicily
*Jack Byers , footballer
*Henry I of England , king of England
*Arthur Hinsley , Catholic cardinal, archbishop
*Jonathan Hutchinson , surgeon, dermatologist
*Woods Hutchinson , physician, writer
*Thomas Johnson, botanist
*John Sherwood, Olympic athlete
*Steve Sherwood , footballer
*James Stephenson , actor
*Eden Taylor-Draper , actress
*Smithson Tennant , chemist, discovereree also
*
Selby Abbey
*Selby College
*Selby High School References
External links
* [http://www.selbytoday.co.uk Selby News]
* [http://www.selbyabbey.org.uk Official website of Selby Abbey.]
* [http://www.selby.gov.uk Selby District Council]
* [http://www.selbywarriors.co.uk/ Selby Warriors A.R.L.F.C]
* [http://www.yorkshire-ess.org.uk/ European Spallation Source Homepage]
* [http://www.selbyhigh.co.uk/ Selby High School]
* [http://www.selbytowncouncil.gov.uk/ Selby Town Council]
* [http://www.selbytownhall.co.uk/ Selby Town Hall Events]
* [http://www.this-is-selby.org/ Online Map-Based record of Selby's History]
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