Eggborough

North Yorkshire

Eggborough is a village in the Selby former district of North Yorkshire.

Weeland Road, EggboroughEggborough and Whitley Village HallEggborough is about 6 miles south-west of Selby, 4 miles east of Knottingley and 7 miles from Pontefract in West Yorkshire and around 5 miles west of Snaith and 10 miles west of Goole in the East Riding. The South Yorkshire border lies around 5 miles to the south of the village.

While Eggborough is in an area surrounded by agriculture, industry has provided a changing face to the village in recent decades.

Most significantly the cooling towers which had been a landmark of the area since a large coal-fired power station was built there in the 1960s have now gone. The station was officially opened in 1970 by the then Central Electricity Generating Board at a time when the nearby Selby coalfield was about to see a major expansion in production.

Mining ended in 2004, but the power station continued to operate with coal brought by rail and road by a succession of private owners. The power station was acquired in 2015 by a Czech Republic-based company. A number of closure plans and reprieves saw it continuing to produce some power until 2018. Starting in August 2021, the eight landmark cooling towers were brought down as part of site redevelopment plans.

A flour mill has been a longer-established industry in Eggborough. The old mill which was a landmark in the centre of the village has also been demolished in recent years, although there is still a newer mill at the edge of Eggborough. There has also been an expansion of industry in Eggborough since 2000 with a large glass factory and an associated insulation board factory.

The village has a railway station at Whitley Bridge, where the Knottingley and Goole Canal is crossed towards the smaller village of Whitley, although most of Whitley lies beyond junction 34 of the M62 motorway. The railway has a very low level of passenger service.

The Knottingley and Goole Canal forms part of the Aire and Calder Navigation which in the early days of the industrial revolution provided an important link from industrial towns of the West Riding to the port of Goole.

Eggborough itself was itself in the West Riding before local government reorganisation in 1974, when it was placed in the Selby district of North Yorkshire. From 2023 the Selby district is abolished, leaving Eggborough as part of the vast North Yorkshire unitary authority.

Village features

Eggborough is on the Aire and Calder Navigation - (Knottingley and Goole Canal).

Eggborough has a pub.

Eggborough has a village store and local traders.

The village has a Post Office.

The village has tea-rooms.

Takeaway food outlets in the village include fish and chips, chicken, pizzas, burgers, kebabs.

The village has a visiting mobile library.

The village has a pharmacy.

Eggborough has a village hall.

Places of worship: Methodist, other.

Eggborough was formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Travel

Whitley Bridge Station

Whitley Bridge station (near Eggborough)

Whitley Bridge station is at the edge of the village of Eggborough.

Few trains stop at this station. In the May-Dec 2023 timetable the train service at this station is one morning and one evening train towards Leeds (Mon-Sat) and one evening train towards Goole.

Towards Castleford and Leeds
Knottingley 7 - Pontefract Monkhill 12 - Glasshoughton 17 - Castleford 24 - Woodlesford 34 - Leeds 46 Towards Goole
Hensall 4 - Snaith 11 - Rawcliffe 23 - Goole 321hr 8min - typical fastest journey times in hours/minutes.

Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.

NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station info

External link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).

Bus travel

The village has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.

Road travel

Eggborough can be reached via the M62 A19 A645

Places to visit

Selby Abbey

The Crescent, Selby
The church of Selby Abbey can trace its history back nearly 1,000 years and many English kings visited the abbey over its lifetime. It is a rare survivor as an abbey church, which was built at a Benedictine monastery founded in 1069. The church was begun around the start of the 12th century, but has seen many changes over its years. The church was restored after a major fire in 1340 and there were further alterations in the 15th century. Selby was apparently treated favourably by King Henry VIII at the time of the monastery's Dissolution surrender in December 1539 and the church was left intact. There has however been considerable damage and restoration since that time, including the collapse of its central tower in 1690 which also destroyed the south transept. The tower was rebuilt in around 1701 by a local builder in the style of the time. In the mid-19th century there was substantial restoration of the church, but the abbey was extensively damaged by a fire in 1906. A complete restoration took place in the following years, followed by the rebuilding of the south transept, which was consecrated in 1912. Today the abbey church of St Mary and St Germain continues to be an active parish church at the centre of its local community.

More information at

Selby Abbey website

Skipwith Common

Situated four mile north-east of Selby, Skipwith Common is a National Nature Reserve and Special Area of Conservation as one of a few remaining areas of lowland heath in northern England. The common features a 270 hectare ancient landscape including a huge variety of plants and animals and small signs of around 4,000 years of human impact, such as bronze and iron age burial mounds. Skipwith Common is managed by the landowner, the Escrick Park Estate, in partnership with Natural England and is supported by a Friends group.

Information at

Friends of Skipwith Common website and

Escrick Park Estate website.

Yorkshire Air Museum

Halifax Way, Elvington, near York
The Yorkshire Air Museum is at the former RAF Elvington, about 3 miles south-west of York. During World War II it was an RAF Bomber Command Station used by Allied bomber crews, including French Air Force squadrons. The museum now situated there has a huge range of exhibits taking visitors from the earliest pioneers of aviation, including Yorkshireman George Cayley, through both World Wars and the Cold War era. More than 60 aircraft and flight-related vehicles are on show at the airfield. The museum is also the location of the Allied Air Forces Memorial, commemorating all allied airmen and women.
More details at the

Yorkshire Air Museum website.
Find

Yorkshire Air Museum on map.

York

The Selby district is not far from Yorkshire's principal city by road with bus and in some places train connections. Find out more about the historic city on our York page.

Emergency services

North Yorkshire Police

North Yorkshire Police website.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Eggborough Parish Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

Eggborough Parish Council

Unitary authority

North Yorkshire Council

The North Yorkshire Council is a new unitary authority formed from the previous County Council from April 1, 2023. It covers the existing county duties including highways, schools, libraries and transport planning over an area of 3,109 square miles while also taking over the responsibilities of the seven huge district authorities also created in 1974 — Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby — these including local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets serving a population of around 615,500*.

Councillors were elected to the County Council in 2022 and continue as councillors of the new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority. There have been a few by-elections to fill councillor vacancies since then.

Places in North Yorkshire

Link to council website: North Yorkshire Council

^ Area figure from ONS Standard Area Measurements 2022 (converted from hectares).
* Population figure from Census 2021 (combined total of former districts).
Contains public sector information licensed under the

Open Government Licence v3.0.

Political composition:

453CI 1311 NY Ind92 LC421

90 members

CI = Conservative & Independent NY Ind = North Yorkshire Independents group LC = Labour & Cooperative
Composition and groupings - source North Yorkshire Council (February 2024)

Strategic authority

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was created in December 2023 combining the unitary authority of York and the unitary authority of North Yorkshire — that created in April 2023 after the abolition of the county authority and its seven district authorities. The combined authority will run some functions under the new mayor elected in May 2024 as part of the government's so-called "Devolution deal" which ties the availablity of funding to the new governance arrangements. As well as having powers over housing development, transport and boosting skills and education across the 3,214 square miles of York and North Yorkshire, the elected mayor also takes on the role and functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner across the area.

Elected mayor: ❚ David Skaith Labour & Cooperative

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire
Covers the county of North Yorkshire and City of York. This role is being transferred to the new elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire in 2024.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire website.

Parliamentary constituency

Ceremonial county

North Yorkshire

Historic

- 1974: Within the West Riding of Yorkshire.
1974 - 2023: In the Selby shire district of the North Yorkshire county.

Also in Yorkshire.guide

New Places to visit Gazetteer