There are several pay and display and free
(supermarket) car parks in Selby. Any of which would be suitable
for this cache. The reception in town is variable but each of
the intermediate clues are easily found as they are all signs
and plaques in prominent positions.
The hunt begins in an area of Selby known as
Abbots Staithe. Here there are a series of warehouses dating back
to the 15th Century which were used for storage of goods
awaiting transport by river. A surgeon was born here but when?
ab
rd
cd efgh.
Go to
N53.47.(c)(h-g)(a+b),
W1.04.(e)(a+g)(b+e)
Along the way you will pass through
Micklegate, an area of Selby where part of the market is held and
which locals refer to as Wide Street. As you pass into Finkle
street you are standing in the area where tradition holds that
Henry I, son of William the Conqueror was born. “Finkle” comes from
the Danish word “Vincle” meaning Elbow. There are several streets
with this name in the North of England. All are short and narrow
with the distinctive elbow like bend in them which you can see
here. On this street another Selby notable was born, Smithson
Tennant, the discoverer of Iridium and Osmium. He was born on
30th November in which year? ijkl
Go to
N53.46.(i+h)(j)(l),
W1.04.(e)(k)(g)
As you pass through the Market Place, note the
Market Cross. This cross was placed close to its current position
in 1791 and was the focal point for trade, meeting and hiring of
labourers for many years. It was moved to Selby Park in 1968 as it
was considered to be a traffic hazard but in 1986 it was moved back
to its current position, not so far out into the road.
At the coordinates is a wall built with stone
from the former Abbey Tithe Barn. How Wide was this barn ?
mn
feet.
Go to
N53.47.(n-b)(n+m)(k-l),
W01.04.(c)(n+b)(n)
As you pass Selby Abbey, marvel at this
wonderful building. It was founded in 1069 by St. Benedict of
Auxerre at the spot where he saw three swans as he travelled up the
river Ouse. He had seen the swans in a vision before he left France
and knew when he saw them again that this is where God wanted him
to found his new Abbey. Luckily William the Conqueror was in York
at the time and agreed to donate land for the buildings.
The Abbey church was saved from the
Dissolution of 1539 on a technicality. The surrounding monastery
buildings were demolished at that time and the Monks evicted. The
church itself was left standing as it was claimed to be used by the
town people as their parish church and therefore not a monastic
building.
The abbey is free to visit and contains a
number of interesting features. Amongst the impressive collection
of stained glass windows is one donated by the ancestors of George
Washington. This window contains the Washington coat of arms,
comprised of Stars and Stripes. It is upon this coat of arms that
the modern American flag is based. There is also a leper squint, a
small hole which passes right through the outer wall of the Abbey
which allowed Lepers and other excluded members of society to see
and take part in the services inside.
Selby was hit by two Cholera epidemics in the
19th Century. In the first epidemic of 1822-3, 55 people
died. In the second epidemic of 1848-9, the church graveyard could
no longer cope with the numbers of dead bodies and a mass burial
pit had to be opened. After these outbreaks, great sanitary
improvements were made to the town.
During the second epidemic nececesities were
handed out by a relief committee. But to how many families ?
opq
Go to
N53.47.(l)(q-h)(p+e),
W1.03.(q+l)(k+o)(q-m)
This area of town is thought to be the site of
the original Parish Church and several coffins have been found here
dating from Saxon times. These coffins were made from hollowed out
tree trunks and were found in 1857 and again when?
rstu.
Go to
N53.47.(c)(t+m)(r),
W1.03.(o+u)(t-p)(u)
At various times in its history, this building
has boasted a cockpit, been a private house, a restaurant, offices
and a school. When did the school close ? 19vw
Go to
N53.47.(r)(v-r)(v+w),
W01.03.(s)(o+r)(w)
The Toll Bridge was opened in 1791 and tolls
were collected for 200 years until the council bought the bridge in
1991. The bridge opened soon after the canal arrived in Selby and
enabled goods heading over the river to avoid the ferry which once
crossed very slightly upstream of the current bridge. There is a
model of this bridge in the Science Museum in London which shows
the wheels you will see in their original position. The bridge was
rebuilt and the wheels ceased turning when ? xyz!
Go to
N53.47.(!)(r)(z-v),
W1.03.(z)(b)(x)
The bridge you now pass under was built in
1891 for the North Eastern Railway. Until 1982 it was part of the
East cost main line from London to Edinburgh but the opening of the
Selby coalfield required the line to be diverted, by-passing the
town. An earlier bridge built by the Hull and Selby Railway company
was demolished when this bridge was built. The current bridge has a
pivot mechanism with arms of unequal length. This means that a 92
ton counterweight is required on the Northern end to balance it
properly.
At the coordinates is an interesting spot
which many locals are not aware of. Behind those warehouse doors is
the oldest station in Yorkshire and only the third passenger
station to be built in the whole country. It was built here because
the onward journey to Hull was via steam packet, leaving from the
jetty across the road. The current line from Selby to Leeds follows
the same route as this original railway, but when was this station
completed? “£$%
Go to
N53.47.(!)(%+”)(v+$),
W1.03.(£)(%)(x+”)
The customs house once stood here. Add up ALL
the dates which appear on this plaque. What do you get ?
^&*#
The cache is located at
N53.47.(!)(*)(*-&),
W1.03.(#+$)(&)(")
It is in a highly visible area and stealth may
be required to retrieve it. I can recommend the “tying of the
shoelace” manoeuvre.
For those using a paper copy of this cache
sheet, the following may be useful :
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ! “ £ $ % ^ & * #