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Selby Canal.
This peaceful waterway once bustled with dozens of huge vessels for over 100 years as the Selby Canal played a vital role in the local economy. Before the Canal was built, boats were forced to navigate the River Ouse and the narrow dangerous tidal River Aire, so when traffic increased significantly in the late 18th century this five and a half mile canal was built to link Selby with West Haddlesey.
Initially, the Canal transported cloth and agricultural produce but with the development of West Yorkshire's mining industry this soon gave way to vast 60 tonne coal barges. Ironically, the success of the Selby canal was its undoing because the huge volume of traffic was causing delay. So in 1826 a new canal, the Aire and Calder Navigation that the cycle route crosses, was built. In 1828, an Act of Parliament allowed the Selby Canal to be widened and deepened with a new lock built at Selby but despite further improvements during the 1830's and the introduction of bigger schooner ships, the canal and Selby as a port declined and with the coming of the rail in the 1870's, the canal was quiet and ceased to function as a trade route.
The canal towpath above takes you straight into Selby with its beautiful Norman Abbey close to the end of the canal basin.
