Former Selby cargo barge makes a final trip

Passing Westmill Foods in Selby (Photo courtesy of D Lewis)

Passing through the rail swingbridge in Selby (Photo courtesy of D Lewis)

Selby witnessed a blast from its transport past last Wednesday – and a taste of the traffic chaos that used to be a regular feature of town life.

The ‘Selby Tony’, one of the last remaining cargo barges that used to bring seed up from Hull to be crushed at the BOCM works in Barlby was pushed upriver through Selby by one of Acaster’s tugs to its new home in York.

In a process similar to the way that old steam locos were rescued from the scrapyards, the York ArtsBarge (sic) group bought the craft as a hulk, had it made watertight at Waddington’s yard near Mexborough before being taken up to a new home at the Foss Basin in York. It had been due to come up to York before Christmas, but the swollen state of the river meant that it has waited at Goole for a couple of months.

In York, it is planned to be fitted out as a three-level performance space, with club and bar, gallery and display space, and meeting area. This fitting out will take place over the next few months.

Both of Selby’s swing bridges were opened around 12:15 on Wednesday lunchtime to allow the barge to pass, in a scene not seen for a couple of decades. Mind you, motorists will be glad not to see it again. Even ‘though the road bridge was only open for a few minutes, the south-bound traffic queue stretched back to the Barlby roundabout.

The craft passed through Cawood bridge a couple of hours later and is now reported to be safely moored up at the Foss Basin.

David Lewis