Goole

East Riding of Yorkshire

Goole is a port town in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Boothferry Road, Goole'Salt and Pepper Pots', GooleThe Port of Goole is Britain's most inland port but just two miles from the M62 motorway.

Situated on the River Ouse, not far from the Humber Estuary, the port is 50 miles from the North Sea.

Goole also became the place where the River Don was joined with the River Ouse in the 1620s. The river was diverted from joining the River Trent via a channel, the Dutch River, to drain the marshland of Hatfield Chase.

Around 200 years later the Aire and Calder Navigation was constructed, linking the Yorkshire coalfield and industrial towns of the West Riding with Goole. Here new docks were built where loads were transferred between canal boats and sea-going vessels. With the docks came a new town.

More about the significance of the waterways in the history of Goole could be found at The Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole, however the museum was closed in May 2019.

Landmarks in the town include its twin water towers, known as the salt and pepper pots, and the steeple of St John the Evangelist Church, the town's parish church.

Supplementing the docks, business parks featuring industrial and warehouse units have been developed around the town in recent years.

Town features

The town is on the River Ouse, River Don (Dutch River).

Goole is on the Aire and Calder Navigation.

The town has a range of shops and supermarkets. Goole offers bakery goods, butchers, clothes, furnishings, an indoor market.

The town has a Post Office.

Goole has banks.

The town has pharmacies.

Goole has several pubs.

Restaurant dining and cafes can be found in Goole.

Takeaway food outlets in the town include fish and chips, chinese, curries, pizzas, burgers, kebabs, sandwiches.

The town has a cinema.

Goole has a theatre.

The town has a swimming pool.

There are public toilets in the town with limited hours of use. (Estcourt Street - 7am-6pm daily)

Places of worship: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, United Reformed, other.

Goole was formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Travel

Goole station

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 town has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.

Road travel

Goole can be reached via the A161 A614 (M62)

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

Emergency services

Humberside Police

Humberside Police website.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Goole Town Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

Goole Town Council

Unitary authority

East Riding of Yorkshire Council
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council is now a unitary district rather than a county authority but the least changed of any of the historic Ridings of Yorkshire.

It does now cover a small part of the former West Riding, while it has lost portions of the historic East Riding to North Yorkshire and York.

County Hall, BeverleyBeverley is the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire and the location of its County Hall.

Other towns in the East Riding include Bridlington Driffield Goole Market Weighton Hedon Hornsea Howden Pocklington Snaith and Withernsea.

The authority covers a near full range of council services, except the limited services handled by the various civil parish/town councils which exist throughout its area.

The 26 wards in the authority each elect one, two or three councillors to make up a 67 member council. An election for the entire council is held every four years with the most recent election in 2019.

Link to East Riding of Yorkshire Council website .

Political composition after May 2023 election:

2922943 YP
67 members YP = Yorkshire Party

Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside
Oversees Humberside Police covering an area made up of the unitary authority councils of East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Hull and, south of The Humber, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.
Elected P&CC: ❚ Jonathan Evison Conservative

Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside website.

Fire Authority

Humberside Fire Authority
The fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the four unitary authorities served by the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service - East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire.

Humberside Fire Authority website.

Parliamentary constituency

Goole and Pocklington
Elected MP: ❚ David Davis Conservative

National government region

Yorkshire and the Humber

Ceremonial county

East Riding of Yorkshire

Historic

1889-1974 West Riding of Yorkshire (county authority)
1974-1996 Part of a borough within the artificially-created county of Humberside

Also in Yorkshire.guide

Places in East Riding Yorkshire attractions