Today was our Sel -by date

Wednesday, 30 June 2010 19:13

The Selby Canal

We started from here: Tankards Stone Bridge at Haddlesey

We ended up here, or rather behind this boat!

But what was it like in between? Our verdict on this short, nearly six mile canal is: very pleasant! It was built as a link canal between the River Ouse and the Aire and Calder Navigation by the Aire and Calder Navigation Company. In 1770, rumours began that the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company was to build a new 23 mile canal linking Leeds and Selby.

Prompted by this and afraid of losing trade, the A and C Navigation Co.  employed William Jessop and John Smeaton to build the Selby Canal. Costing £20,000, begun in 1774, the canal was opened eight years later. Manufacturers were able to send goods directly to Hull and London, as well as having easier access to York and Leeds.

Selby became an hub of trade, ship and boat building and prospered. Rope and sails were made there; flax dressing and linen manufacturing thrived. The short, four year, cheap build and shallow draught eventually caused the downfall of the canal. It was eventually superseded by the deeper canal from Knottingley to Goole.

Today, the canal water was very clear and beyond the reflections we could see the weed growing on the bottom

Now the canal is solely used by leisure craft and anglers. There are even angling staithes right up to the A 63 bridge. Serious competition takes place along here! There are a couple of designated mooring spots - one just before the East Coast Rail Line Bridge at Gatefor Landing and another at Burn Bridge.

There was a large amount of blanket weed and green algae and we were glad that there had been a number of narrowboats moving South yesterday and Isambard had left ahead of us! I suspect that more than a few straw bales would be needed to clear the canal! Thankfully, we didn't need to go down the weedhatch. John reckoned that cruising at 4 mph allowed Epiphany's bows to push any remaining weed away from the propellor.

I enjoyed sitting in the bows taking "arty farty" photos and trying to photograph the cheeky swallows that played "chicken"  with Epiphany.

Sun and algae

The clear water in the canal changed after Brayton Bridge. From there into Selby it was covered by a fine film of algae - even past Selby Boat Centre and its moorings.

We caught up with Isambard about here and followed them through Selby Swing Bridge, to moor up in the basin before Selby Lock. The lock will take us down onto the River Ouse eventually. The 8 acres around the lock once thrived with a counting house, rigging house, tarring house and sailmaker's shop.

Swing Bridge

We had lunch and then walked, in the searing heat, to pick up my repeat prescription and pick up a few bits and pieces in Tesco. Kelly's Cornish Ice cream, Rodda's Cornish clotted cream and Scottish strawberries were added to the list as we shopped!

Selby Basin, with lock ahead

Selby Canal, Haddlesey Flood Lock to Selby

1 hour 36 minutes, 5.10 miles, 0 locks