Goole 200 - History of Goole in 200 Objects
2026-05-23 - 2026-07-10 | Goole Museum and Gallery, Carlisle Street, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DS, United Kingdom
A collection of objects relating to Goole over its 200 year history.

Reuben Chappell - Master of the Masts
2026-07-16 - 2026-10-25 | Goole Museum and Gallery, Carlisle Street, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DS, United Kingdom
An exhibition of the works of Goole pierhead painter, Reuben Chappell. The extensive collection held at Goole Museum and Gallery is supplemented by loaned works from other collectors in the UK and Europe.

Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society Exhibition
2026-07-17 - 2026-07-20 | Spicers Auctioneers, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
The historic Humber keel, Comrade, should be visiting Goole for the Waterways Heritage Weekend, subject to her being able to escape her present berth at South Ferriby. HKSPS members will certainly be present to explain what they are doing to ensure that the knowledge and skills of generations of watermen are preserved for future generations.

Bicentenary Flotilla Photography Competition for ages 25 and under
2026-07-17 08:00 - 2026-07-18 12:00 (Europe/London) | Goole Marina and Docks, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire
On Saturday 18 July, a flotilla of over thirty waterways’ vessels will navigate around Goole Docks, emulating what happened two hundred years earlier in 1826 at the opening of the Knottingley to Goole canal and the port and town of Goole. There will be a variety of craft in the flotilla – narrow boats, Dutch barges, cruisers, tugs, launches, commercial barges and RIBs – and we expect much waving of flags and sounding of horns to mark this historic occasion.
The public will be able to watch the flotilla from a number of locations around the docks and we hope that together we will create a memorable event which may never be seen again for another hundred years, if ever.
The Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society (YWHS) collects and publishes historic photographs of what took place in Goole’s canal and docks when the waterways industry was thriving. Today there is only a fraction of the traffic that once plied up and down the canal but our docks, managed by ABP, remain a very important part of Yorkshire’s economy. We believe that the flotilla event will one day be regarded as an important piece of the history of Goole and we need your help to record in photographs and video what you saw happening on 17 – 18 July 2026. Our objective is to collect and publish online as much material as possible so that in the future, anyone will be able to look back at a vast collection of photographs and recordings to see who was there, what they saw and what they heard. Imagine in fifty years’ time showing your grandchildren a reel with you and your mates waving and cheering as the flotilla goes by in Goole docks.
Prizes
To make this challenge even more interesting we are going to award prizes for the very best entries submitted to YWHS. We have received donations from individuals and businesses who want to encourage Goole’s young folk to take an interest in the history of Goole, a very special town with a very special history. Your competition entries will provide the evidence of that which we will share with the world.
Our judges will have the unenviable task of picking the best entries and the very, very best entry will receive the top prize of £250 of Amazon vouchers. There will also be a number of further prizes for second and third places also in Amazon vouchers.
Tips
Your entries should have been taken on the 17 or 18 July 2026, so we will hope to see your photographs taken while the preparations for the flotilla are taking place as well as from the day of the flotilla event.
We would rather not see heavily edited material.

Waterways Heritage Festival and Flotilla of Vessels
2026-07-17 - 2026-07-20 | Goole Marina, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Save this weekend for a gathering of canal boats with entertainment, food and drink, to mark the 200th anniversary of the official opening of the Goole to Knottingley canal and the port and town of Goole. Boat owners are invited to register, using our expression of interest form, to participate in a flotilla of vessels which is planned to process around Goole docks on the afternoon of 18 July, watched by the public and reviewed by a group of VIPs.

Goole Model Boat Club Open Days
2026-07-18 - 2026-07-19 | Goole Model Boat Club, Dutch River Side, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5TB
Formed in 1997, Goole Model Boat Club occupies a site on South Dock, Goole, where many years ago a pond was built for the club members to exercise their fleet of impressively turned out model craft. The club meets every Saturday morning throughout the year and is opening its gates to the public as part of the Waterways Heritage weekend. Demonstrations will run throughout the weekend and there will be a small pop-up pond created for children to have a go at piloting model craft.
Historic Objects
Throughout the weekend there will be the opportunity to get up close with items from the industrial history of Goole as the home of Goole Model Boat Club is also the site of Goole’s iconic No 5 Coal Hoist, a grade II listed building, and also one of the last surviving Tom Pudding compartment boats. The Apex light and a dolphin – not the mammal – from Goole Docks are also located there. Together these form a poignant reminder of the importance played by the movement of coal in the development of the port of Goole. While we are not allowed to access the coal hoist it is still an impressive monument to an industry that lasted over 150 years.
Bicentenary Flotilla Viewpoint
On the afternoon of Saturday 18 July, between 2pm and 4pm, the GMBC site will be an ideal viewpoint for the Bicentenary Flotilla of vessels which will convoy around Goole Docks emulating the opening of the port in 1826. Take the opportunity to enter our photography competition.
Pop-up Exhibition – Railway on the Water
View our collection of amazing photographs taken in 1974 by photography student Duncan Davies who spent a day onboard the tom pudding tug, Wheldale. This portfolio captures the crew’s journey between Goole and Doncaster and their return loaded with coal. They make what was dangerous work look easy.
We will also be running a video of the coal hoist operating and a former coal hoist operator will be available to answer all your questions.
Access during this weekend
The site will be open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
The site must be accessed on foot from Dutch River Side where there is roadside parking. There is no public parking on site this weekend.
There is limited wheelchair access at the site and no disabled toilet.

Goole Cycling Clubs Pop-up Exhibition
2026-07-18 - 2026-07-20 | Spicers Auctioneers, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
This is a display of silver and silver plated trophies, c.1930-1990, from the Goole Wheelers and Goole Vermuyden Cycling Clubs, now both defunct. Also on display with be a c.1890 Penny Farthing that has travelled some 40,000 recorded miles, a c.1860/70 Bone Shaker bicycle and 1950/60’s racing bikes.
The trophies will be auctioned on the 25th July by Spicers Auctioneers.

Heritage canal trips on Tilly
2026-07-18 10:00 - 2026-07-19 16:00 | Spicers Auctioneers, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
As part of the Waterways Heritage Festival we are delighted to announce that the Tilly Community Canal Boat, operated by HFR Solutions CIC, will be visiting Goole to take part in our Flotilla Event on Saturday 18 July, 2026.
Tilly is a 60ft long trip boat , licenced to carry twelve passengers. Outside of her participation in the flotilla, short canal trips will be offered on the morning of Saturday 18 July and throughout the day on Sunday 19 July.
She will also be taking passengers on her trips outbound from Thorne to Goole on 17 July and on her return from Goole to Thorne on 20 July.
Each trip on 18 and 19 July will be hosted by a YWHS guide who will narrate the story of the Knottingley to Goole canal and the port of Goole over its two hundred years history from 1826 to the present day.
Other than for the Thorne – Goole trips, passengers will board at Spicers Auctioneers, the site of the former Yorkshire Waterways Museum, by the canal in Goole and trips will last approximately one hour.
To book your trip on Tilly please use the following links:
Trip from Stanilands Marina in Thorne to Goole
Friday July 17th – £25.00 per person plus booking fee.
9:30am to 4:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.

Saturday July 18th – 1 hour trips – £10.00 per person plus booking fee.
10:00am to 11:00am – Click here to get your tickets.
11:00am to 12:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.

Sunday July 19th – 1 hour trips – £10.00 per person plus booking fee.
10:00am to 11:00am – Click here to get your tickets.
11:00am to 12:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.
12:00pm to 1:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.
1:00pm to 2:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.
2:00pm to 3:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.
3:00pm to 4:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.

Trip from Goole to Staniland Marina in Thorne
Monday 20th July – £25.00 per person plus booking fee.
9:30am to 4:00pm – Click here to get your tickets.

Bicentenary Flotilla of Vessels
2026-07-18 12:30 - 17:00 | Goole Marina, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
In 1826 the port and town of Goole was opened by the arrival of 50 vessels which had navigated along the length of the new Knottingley to Goole Canal arriving to much fanfare at the newly built Goole Docks. Two hundred years later, with a nod to what happened in 1826, a fleet of waterways craft will navigate along the canal from the Dog and Duck by Goole Marina, through South Dock bridge, around the docks and back again.
There will be an interesting mix of waterways vessels – cruisers, Dutch barges, narrow boats, historic keels, commercial barges, tugs, launches and fast ribs – all led by an ABP survey vessel. The flotilla will be dressed up and there is likely to be much sounding of horns to show that this is a celebration of the port’s two hundred year heritage.
Timetable
The estimated timetable for the event on Saturday 18 July is:

12.30pm: Assembly of flotilla in Dog and Duck area of canal by Goole Marina from where you will be able to wave them off.
2.00pm: Flotilla sets off.
4.00pm: Flotilla returns to Dog and Duck and disperses.

Viewpoints
The public are invited to view and photograph the flotilla as it proceeds around Goole Docks:

The assembling of the flotilla in the canal from Goole Marina and Spicers Auctioneers premises on the banks of the canal accessed via Dutch River Side.
Public walkways around the docks will provide good viewpoints, particularly from the section between Lowther Bridge and Barge Dock.
The two road bridges on Bridge Street at West Dock and South Dock should also afford a good view of the event.
Goole Model Boat Club site on Dutch River Side will offer a great view of the flotilla as it passes through South Dock on its outward and return journeys.

Photographic Competition
If you are aged under 25 years old, you are invited to participate in our photographic competition. You’ll just need your phone. See our separate page for details and how to enter.
Your entry must be a photo or video of the flotilla event taken on the day.

Tilly Flotilla Trip with Cream Tea
2026-07-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Spicers Auctioneers, Dutch Riverside, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
As part of the Waterways Heritage Festival we are delighted to announce that the Tilly Community Canal Boat, operated by HFR Solutions CIC, will be visiting Goole to take part in our Waterways Heritage Event on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, 2026.
Tilly is a 60ft long trip boat , licenced to carry twelve passengers. Outside of her participation in the flotilla, short canal trips will be offered on the morning of Saturday 18 July and throughout the day on Sunday 19 July. Click here to see more details of the short canal trips.
On Saturday 18 July, Tilly will be participating in the Bicentenary Flotilla navigating around Goole Docks to mark the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Knottingley to Goole Canal and the port and town of Goole. This is a unique opportunity to experience seeing Goole docks from the water while enjoying a cream tea in comfortable surroundings. An experienced guide will keep you informed of what you are seeing on the day and how it fits into the history of the port.
Proceeds from this event will all go towards enabling Tilly and her crew to continue to deliver her charitable aims.
Boarding
Passengers will board at Spicers Auctioneers, the site of the former Yorkshire Waterways Museum, by the canal in Goole, at around 1pm. This trip will last approximately three hours including the dock tour.
Tickets
To book your trip on Tilly please use the following links:

Saturday July 18th – 3 hour Flotilla & Cream Tea trip – £60.00 per person plus booking fee.
1:00pm to 4:00pm – Click here to book.

Seaman's Memorial Service
2026-07-19 10:30 - 11:30 | Seaman’s Memorial, Lock Hill, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire
The Seaman’s Memorial helps us all to remember the multitude of mariners and watermen from Goole who are no longer with us. It has special significance this year which is the 200th anniversary of the opening of the port and town in 1826. To that end David Scrimgeour will talk through a brief history of Goole’s two hundred years.

Waterways Heritage Symposium
2026-07-20 12:30 - 17:00 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
We are delighted to bring you three waterways themed talks by well known local historians to fill your afternoon on the actual birthday of the opening of the Knottingley to Goole Canal and the port and town of Goole in 1826.
1.00 pm: Life as a Yorkshire Waterman by Graham Buckton.
2.15 pm: The Goole Billyboys by Steve Gardham.
3.30 pm: Goole’s Centenary Celebrations in 1926 by David Scrimgeour.
Tickets:
Seating in the Junction will be limited for each session so we ask that you please book your seats for £2 per talk in person at the Junction box-office or click here to book online.
Many thanks to our sponsor Spicers Auctioneers & Valuers of Goole who have kindly subsidised this event.

Waterways Heritage Symposium - Talk 1. Life as a Yorkshire Waterman
2026-07-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
Life on Yorkshire’s waterways during the late 19th/early 20th centuries was gruelling, especially for those working on sailing sloops and keels. This presentation examines the trials and tribulations of one such individual, George Wood of North Frodingham, the skipper of an East Yorkshire keel. He worked the waterways for 55 years and was a key element of the economic life of his home village, providing both the essentials of life, especially coal, and transporting the produce of the surrounding area to market. Gruelling the work may have been, but he proved to be a successful skipper, and he and his family were able to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
Speaker: Graham Buckton
Graham’s interest in Yorkshire’s inland waterways began when he moved to Rawcliffe some 30 years ago. He quickly realised that Goole possessed a fascinating, albeit relatively short, 200-year history. His knowledge developed through six years of involvement with the Yorkshire Waterways Museum, which in turn led to a broader interest in seafaring history. This culminated in the attainment of a degree in Maritime History from the University of Hull. Graham’s involvement continues today through his work as a trustee of the Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society.
Our sponsor:
Many thanks to our sponsor Spicers Auctioneers & Valuers of Goole who have kindly subsidised this event.

Tickets:
You can book your seats for £2 per talk in person at the Junction box-office or click here to book online.

Waterways Heritage Symposium - Talk 2: The Goole Billyboy, a 19th century coasting vessel
2026-07-20 14:15 - 15:05 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
Billyboys were a class of sailing vessel used in the “coasting trade” by Yorkshire’s mariners from about 1820 until World War One, after which time few survived. Steve Gardham, the UK’s leading expert on this class of vessel, has identified over 600 billyboys though he believes that around 1,000 likely existed. Steve shares his research explaining why they have proved so difficult to identify and the approach he has used to find them among the surviving records.
Speaker: Steve Gardham
After retiring from teaching, Steve volunteered for 16 years at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Goole helping to restore and operate the Tom Pudding tug Wheldale. He crewed trips around the docks and joined the Wheldale crew on its 2012 voyage to London for the Queen’s Jubilee Parade. It was during his time at the museum that he developed a strong interest in the billyboy coasting vessels of Goole. Steve is also editor of eight books and author of numerous articles on folksong history.
Our sponsor:
Many thanks to our sponsor Spicers Auctioneers & Valuers of Goole who have kindly subsidised this event.

Tickets:
You can book your seats for £2 per talk in person at the Junction box-office or click here to book online.

Waterways Heritage Symposium Talk 3: Goole's Centenary Celebrations of 1926
2026-07-20 15:30 - 16:30 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
Just over 100 years ago, the townspeople of Goole, led by their enthusiastic town councillors, delivered an amazing programme of events to celebrate the centenary of the town. Hundreds of volunteers were involved in what the national newspapers recognised as a tremendous success. The hard work had started over a year earlier and thanks to newspaper reports from the time we are able to track their progress as it happened. A full week of celebration featured massed choirs, multiple bands, sports meetings, an exhibition and pageants which you will see in colour for the first time accompanied by the music specially written for the centenary celebrations.
Speaker: David Scrimgeour
After a successful career in the IT industry, David Scrimgeour took a sabbatical in 2011 to fulfil a long-held ambition to research and write. Four years of research resulted in his 2016 book, Proper People: Early Asylum Life in the Words of Those Who Were There. Following retirement and a move to East Yorkshire in 2017, David volunteered at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole, helping visitors trace their watermen ancestors. This sparked a deeper interest in Yorkshire’s waterways communities and led to an MSc dissertation, Yorkshire’s Watermen: Illuminating Their Lives with Genealogy, completed in 2022. David is now a trustee and founder member of the Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society.
Our sponsor:
Many thanks to our sponsor Spicers Auctioneers & Valuers of Goole who have kindly subsidised this event.

Tickets:
You can book your seats for £2 per talk in person at the Junction box-office or click here to book online.

Canal Boat Stories - Live! with Robbie Cumming
2026-07-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
USE THIS LINK TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE.

Presentation to Annual General Meeting of Goole GoFar
2026-07-24 10:00 - 13:00 | The Stables, Sotheron Arms, Hook, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5PQ, United Kingdom
Presentation: Goole in 1926 – Celebrating the first 100 years.
Looking back over one hundred years, we explore what was happening in and around Goole in 1926, the year of the centenary of the opening of the town and docks in 1826. Despite the economic depression hitting so many of the townspeople hard, a fabulous celebration of the 100th birthday was organised and delivered with admirable enthusiasm as can be seen from the many surviving photographs. Through newspaper reports, we examine the combined efforts of the many committees as they prepared to deliver a spectacle which would be reported as a tremendous success across the country.
The organisers have requested that you please arrive NO EARLIER than 10.00. Refreshments will be available on arrival, and a light Buffett Lunch will be served after the meeting at 12.00pm.

History Exhibition - Junction, Goole
2026-08-18 10:00 - 2026-08-29 16:00 | Junction Goole, Paradise Place, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 5DL, United Kingdom
This annual event at Junction, Goole is created through a collaboration between three local heritage organisations, Boothferry Local and Family History Group, Goole First World War Research Group and Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society. It provides an opportunity for visitors to view old photographs from the town and port and is well known for creating an opportunity for folk to spot their relatives or themselves at school, work or play.
Note that the exhibition will only open in line with the opening times of Junction, so typically 10am to 2pm daily, Monday to Saturday.

Presentation to Howden Civic Society
2026-09-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Methodist Church Howden, 43 Hailgate, Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 7SL, United Kingdom
Presentation: Goole in 1926 – Celebrating the first 100 years.
Looking back over one hundred years, we explore what was happening in and around Goole in 1926, the year of the centenary of the opening of the town and docks in 1826. Despite the economic depression hitting so many of the townspeople hard, a fabulous celebration of the 100th birthday was organised and delivered with admirable enthusiasm as can be seen from the many surviving photographs. Through newspaper reports, we examine the combined efforts of the many committees as they prepared to deliver a spectacle which would be reported as a tremendous success across the country.

Goole Hobbies Exhibition
2026-09-05 10:00 - 16:00 | The Courtyard, Boothferry Road, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN146AE, United Kingdom
Following the success of last year’s event, when over 50 clubs and societies were visited by over 400 attendees, Goole Civic Society are organising a repeat event, which is hoped to be an even bigger success. Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society will be there and we would be delighted to meet friends old and new at our stand.

Presentation to the Society of Genealogists
2026-09-12 10:30 - 11:30 | Online via Zoom
Online Presentation: Yorkshire’s Watermen
The transportation of goods across pre motorway Yorkshire relied heavily on the watermen, often accompanied by their families, who piloted their well laden keels along the numerous canals and rivers of the county. David Scrimgeour shares his original research examining the extant Canal Boat Registers to see what extra insight they offer the family historian, illustrated with real examples from watermen families across the county.

Presentation to Pontefract and District Family History Society
2026-09-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Central Methodist Church Hall, Tanshelf Drive, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 1NB, United Kingdom
Presentation: Life and Death on Yorkshire’s Waterways
Drawing on his extensive research into 19th and early 20th century Yorkshire watermen families, David Scrimgeour will share what he has learned about the BMD facts so important to family historians. Illustrated with examples peculiar to life on the waterways this is not a presentation for the faint hearted. The happy events of births and marriages are outweighed by the many unnatural deaths associated with what was a very, very hazardous occupation for the watermen and their families.

Presentation to Pontefract and District Archaeology and History Society (PontArc)
2026-09-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Carleton Community Centre, Carleton Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 3RJ
Presentation: Yorkshire’s Watermen.
The transportation of goods across pre motorway Yorkshire relied heavily on the watermen, often accompanied by their families, who piloted their well laden keels along the numerous canals and rivers of the county. David Scrimgeour shares his original research examining the extant Canal Boat Registers to see what extra insight they offer the family historian, illustrated with real examples from watermen families across the county.

Presentation to Wakefield and District Family History Society
2026-12-05 10:30 - 12:00 | The Outwood Memorial Hall, Victoria Street, Outwood, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2NE, United Kingdom
Presentation: Life and Death on Yorkshire’s Waterways.
Drawing on his extensive research into 19th and early 20th century Yorkshire watermen families, David Scrimgeour will share what he has learned about the BMD facts so important to family historians. Illustrated with examples peculiar to life on the waterways this is not a presentation for the faint hearted. The happy events of births and marriages are outweighed by the many unnatural deaths associated with what was a very, very hazardous occupation for the watermen and their families.
