Scanning our shopping in Selby

Aside from the Abbey, the only other surviving monastery building is the late 14th century Abbots Staith, which is the former monastic warehouse used to store, amongst other things wool from the monastic estate, for shipping. It is hidden behind the buildings in this image as it remains today. 

The Yorkshire Ideal Flour Mill (now Westmill Foods) that now dominates this view was constructed in 1933 on the site of a previous mill of 1890. The mill was one of the last commercial users of the river for the delivery of its raw materials. The current mill tower juxtaposed with the Abbey tower is a Selby landmark.

Abbot’s Staith is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is also Listed by Historic England as Grade II*. This is illustrative of its extensive history, the quality of the material evidence that survives, and the fact that it is the only building that survives from the monastery that founded Selby Abbey.

Watch the video of our Minecraft models of Selby Abbey and Abbot's Staith.  

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It appears that the Fish and Game Dealers at 49 Wide Street, Ben and James Sanderson, had a number of rabbits to sell when this photograph was taken.

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In this second photograph, the shop window looks a little tidier! This is from when they won first prize in the competition for the best shopfront in the Selby Gala!

James Sanderson later opened a green grocery and fruit shop in Gowthorpe. He made an agreement with his uncle Ben that they would not sell the same things as each other to prevent any competition!

Story and Image in the Selby Times – Bygone Days Article Number 448

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Stories say that in Yorkshire there was an annual '’Mischief Night’’ on 4 November (before the idea of Halloween came from America).

In a Selby Times Bygone Days article, Richard Moody recanted one of his favourite stories about Mischief Night, which he heard from his mother about one of her mischief acts.

She told him that they would cut out two letter P’s and stick it over the shop in the picture – Dick Rockett’s - and change it to a character that you wouldn’t want to find in the shopping streets...

Dick Rockett was a Clothier and General Outfitter and had a shop here in Micklegate, and ones in New Street and Gowthorpe.

Story and Image from Selby Times - Bygone Days Number 109

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In the past, owners or the managers often lived behind and above the shop front with their families. Everything for the house, shop, and garden had to go through the front door of the shop.

Here on 14 Finkle Street, the family firm Norman W Jackson sold knitting wools, clothes for babies, and leather handbags. The Jacksons came from Derby in 1940 and were in Finkle Street until 1963.

There were sizeable living quarters beyond and above the shop: sitting room, kitchen, three bedrooms, and two attics where the stock was kept. Through the kitchen there as a door opening into a small walled garden.

You can see in the view here much of the same shop front survives – with the black and white tiles and the timber shop front still visible behind some later alterations.

Back in 1952, our friend Marjorie often visited Jacksons, click on the image to hear her story.

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Image from Selby Library Postcard Collection - Finkle Street in 1912

In the past, owners or the managers often lived behind and above the shop front with their families. Everything for the house, shop, and garden had to go through the front door of the shop.

Here on 14 Finkle Street, the family firm Norman W Jackson sold knitting wools, clothes for babies, and leather handbags. The Jacksons came from Derby in 1940 and were in Finkle Street until 1963.

There were sizeable living quarters beyond and above the shop: sitting room, kitchen, three bedrooms, and two attics where the stock was kept. Through the kitchen there as a door opening into a small walled garden.

You can see in the view here much of the same shop front survives – with the black and white tiles and the timber shop front still visible behind some later alterations.

Back in 1952, our friend Marjorie often visited Jacksons, click on the image to hear her story.

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Image from Selby Time – Bygone Days Article Number 451

Hanlay’s shop (or The Corset Warehouse!) in these images is remembered as an old-fashioned shop that maintained a well-to-do Victorian atmosphere and courtesy until the middle of the 20th century. The advert for the ‘Hanlay’s Trousers Down Again’ doesn’t quite match with this character though…!

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One story from an assistant published in the Selby Times admitted to a sneaky act when she worked there… 

A well-to-do lady came in for a pair of gloves. When she tried them on a couple of pairs, she thought that the ones that fitted best were unsuitable because they were not expensive enough for her taste. The assistant took them into the back, straightened them out as though they had not been worn, changed the wrapping tissue, and brought them out in a different box! The sort usually sold in that box would normally cost almost twice as much!

The customer tried them on, bought them, and went away happy!

Story and Image from Selby Times on 10 February 2000

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Just before midnight on 19th October in 1906, flames were seen pouring from one of the Abbey’s windows. It is believed a candle that was left burning near the organ was the source of the fire.

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Image Copyright - Selby Abbey Collection

The fire brigade came by horse and carriage from Leeds and tackled the blaze for hours. Cold water was poured on some of the stained-glass windows to preserve them and one brave fireman rescued the font cover which is on display in the Abbey today and is the only original surviving piece of wood left in its original form.

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By the morning, the Abbey's roof lay completely open, the bells had fallen to the floor, molten led ran down the walls and the Abbey was decimated. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the community rallied together to raise money for the Abbey’s restoration. One way they did this was by holding large sheets outside the building for people to throw money in.

King Edward VII visited Selby as part of his tour around Yorkshire and the people had a parade to celebrate the visit.

This image also shows the different buildings along The Crescent and all the small shops that occupied them before Wetherells took over. Notice all the people who are watching from the first and second floor windows. These floors were likely used to house the shop owners and managers at this time.

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Image Copyright - Selby Library Collection

The king was also honoured in the rebuilding of the Abbey after the fire in 1906. Hidden inside a hollow capital in the north aisle, there is a small statue that depicts Edward VII. It was added in when the Abbey was restored after the big fire as a secret tribute to the current monarch. It is hard to spot unless you know it is there!

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Two of the most famous shops of Selby - Cheeseman’s and Wetherell’s - stood side by side in The Crescent since the end of the 19th century.

In fact, Wetherell’s stood between two of the Cheeseman’s departments and it was thought by all that it was only a matter of time before it was absorbed into Cheeseman’s.

Then, in the early 1960’s – at the time of this photograph – the opposite happened. Wetherell’s took over Cheeseman’s.

Click on the photo to hear how Marjorie always preferred Wetherells... 

If you look at the corner of the shop unit today as it is in this photo, it looks rather different!

Wetherells was established in 1898 and five generations of the Wetherell family have managed the business, and it is an institution in Selby town centre - loved by all. 

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Story and Image from Selby Times on 3 July 1997.

Clayton’s Dressmakers was located on the left-hand side of New Street as you enter the town over the bridge. This image dates from the late 1920s and shows the Claytons’ staff in the shop doorway called Poppie Martin, Halma Clayton, and Kitty Denby (later Simpson).

Poppie and Kitty lived in Temple Hirst and cycled to and from Selby each day and earned 8 shillings per week. That is 7 miles each way and £40 a week in today’s money.

At the time of this photograph, on New Street ‘Bleshells’ butcher’s shop was on one side of Clayton’s and Mr W Noble, a tailor and hatter, on the other side. Across the road, Jackie Kilburn had his hairdressing shop.

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Story and Image from Selby Times – Bygone Days Number 545

New Street is part of an early entranceways into the town, over the river from the north. The buildings were built in the early 19th century and in the later 19th-century, the string of units starting at Harry Clarke's were altered to create a single shopfront design. Looking at this photograph of Harry Clarke’s shop, you can see that there have been very few changes to this street since. 

The property at the end of the street, that you can see at the edge of this photo, was left out when the new design was installed, and it has a couple of different decorative features that may have been part of the original style, and the brick wall that you can see today at the end of the shop, suggests that there used to be other buildings attached.

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