Selby History - Industrial Ousegate

Selby’s location on the river Ouse had made it an important trading hub for centuries. Ousegate is the historic riverfront street of Selby and remained an important area for commercial activity after the opening of the Selby Canal in 1778, and the completion of the Toll Bridge in 1792.

The street that built the town

The street was the site of the original Selby railway station which opened in 1834 and was the first railway station in Yorkshire; part of the Leeds and Selby railway. Situated here to serve and supply the river traffic via the jetties.

A substantial shipyard at Selby features on maps of the area from as early as the 1840’s and a famous name, Cochrane and Son, was transferred here in 1898. It was a major employer in the area and continued until it’s closure in 1992. Situated on the banks of the river, they famously launched all of their vessels sideways on to the awe of crowds of onlookers. Shipbuilders in Selby have been responsible for many well-known vessels over the years, the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior II being one of the highest profiles.

Many street names in Selby, like most northern towns, have the suffix – ‘gate’. This harks back to Viking influences as ‘gate’ derives from the Old Norse word gata, or street. For instance, Ousegate is the street near the Ouse, Millgate the street that led to the soke mill on the Ouse and Bondgate the street leading to the lands of the men bonded to give their service to the Abbey.

These pages, maps, and icons allow you to explore the history and stories of the area.