A Gentle Return to the Selby Canal
Date:
From:
Selby
To:
Brayton
Waterway:
Selby Canal
Travel Time:
3/4 hour
Distance:
2 miles
Contents:
Morning Chores at Selby Basin
After several enjoyable days in Selby, it was time to prepare for the next stage of our journey. Before setting off, however, there were a few practical jobs to tackle. Like all boaters, we depend on regular stops at service points, and our first destination of the day was Selby Basin’s boater facilities.
While John stayed aboard, I took Boasley for a walk to the electric swing bridge at the entrance to the basin. Once there, I operated the bridge to allow Narrowboat Round Tuit to pass through, with John carefully reversing the boat into the basin and alongside the service point.
The water pressure was rather low, meaning that filling our tank would take longer than expected. Fortunately, there are far worse places to be delayed. The morning sunshine was warm, the basin was peaceful and there was no need to rush.
Coffee, Conversation and Canal Tales
With the water slowly trickling into the tank, we settled on the stern with mugs of coffee and enjoyed the unexpected pause.
Two other boaters were also waiting to make use of the facilities, and before long we found ourselves chatting about boating life and swapping stories of journeys along the River Ouse. Conversations like these are one of the pleasures of travelling the waterways. Complete strangers can quickly become familiar faces when united by a shared love of boats, locks and rivers.
There is always something to learn from fellow boaters too. Every river passage has its own challenges, and every crew has their own experiences. Listening to their tales added another layer of anticipation to our own continuing journey.
Back onto the Canal
Once the water tank was full and the waste tank emptied, we retraced our route out of the basin. The bridge was opened once more and soon we were back on the Selby Canal.
Today’s cruise was intentionally brief. After the excitement and planning involved in our recent river journeys, a gentle morning on the canal felt exactly right. We travelled only a short distance before finding a pleasant mooring on the offside at Brayton.
We’ll remain here for a couple of days before continuing towards Castleford at the weekend. John plans to visit his mum next week, making this a convenient place to pause and relax pace for a while.
Summer Along the Waterway
The day could hardly have been more pleasant. The sun remained with us throughout the morning, casting a warm glow across the fields and hedgerows that line the canal.
As we drifted along, the scent of summer flowers carried across the water. The countryside seemed to be at its seasonal best, with rich green vegetation and bursts of colour wherever the eye wandered.
There was no urgency, no timetable to meet and no locks to conquer. Just a leisurely cruise through the Yorkshire countryside and the simple contentment that comes from moving one’s home a little further along the waterway.
The History Beneath the Journey
Although today was a short cruise, the stretch between Selby and Brayton passes through an area rich in history.
The Selby Canal itself was completed in 1778, built to provide a more reliable route between Leeds and the River Ouse. Before its construction, navigation along the nearby rivers could be difficult and unpredictable, particularly during periods of flooding or low water. The canal helped transform trade across the region, allowing coal, agricultural goods and manufactured products to move more efficiently between Yorkshire’s growing towns and the wider world.
Selby’s own history stretches back much further. The town grew around Selby Abbey, founded in 1069, and became an important inland port thanks to its position on the River Ouse. For centuries, goods from across Yorkshire passed through Selby on their way to the Humber Estuary and beyond.
Brayton, where we are moored tonight, was once a separate rural village surrounded by farmland. Although modern development has brought it closer to Selby, it still retains much of its historic character. Looking out across the fields from our mooring, it is easy to imagine the generations of farmers, traders and travellers who have passed through this landscape long before the arrival of leisure boats and holiday cruisers.
As the sun shone on the canal, it felt good to be resting in a place where centuries of Yorkshire history quietly surround the waterway, hidden beneath the peaceful surface of another summer’s day afloat.
