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This is the "Boggart Oak" - it had lots of other names, too - "lightning tree", "hanging tree", and the "mile ender". It marked the boundary between Cawood and Wistow and stood in a field off the Wistow road until it was blown over in February 1990. It was believed to be over 500 years old, and still had leaves in the 1950's. In the background you can see the "headgear" of Wistow Mine. |
| The old tree was a popular subject for photographers - unfortunately, this is the only shot I took as I preferred to draw it - the only feature in an otherwise rather flat river plain! My living room gallery (right) includes some paintings of it - the tree looked different from every angle. | |
| Cawood, Wistow and Selby Light Railway was formed to transport goods and produce from the area to the railway line at Selby. (I haven't found any pictures of that railway, so here is a picture of the Lord Nelson at York Station in 1982. As you can see, it was loud! The little ones have cotton wool in their ears). In the 1890's the area around Cawood was covered with market gardens, smallholdings, and fields of celery. |  |
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There were also local factories - brickworks and potteries, and the nearest railway was at Selby. It cost 5/- (shillings) a ton to transport goods by cart, they also wanted to increase visitors to the area. In 1896, the schools closed and the flag was raised at the Castle as the village turned out to celebrate. The Directors of the railway gave a luncheon in the schoolroom, and the Selby Rifle Brigade marched through the streets. |
| Mrs Liversedge cut the first sod using a decorated spade, and the local children were treated to a special tea. The first engine was named "Cawood" and in February 1898 it left Brayton Gates to traverse the four and a half mile length of track at 25mph. It carried goods and passengers and in 1900 the line was purchased by North Eastern Railways. In the 1950's it was still carrying coal, potatoes and sugar beet, but passenger numbers dropped off, and it was closed in 1960. A native of Wistow, Mr John Woodall, who had travelled on the first train, also rode on the last. |  York station in the 1980's was visited by the steam specials to Scarborough. |
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Of course, York is famous as a railway city, and is home to the
National Railway Museum. I wonder who these visitors are? They seem to
look familiar? Where Cawood station used to be is now a road with houses. Selby used to be on the main east coast line; when the Selby mines were being driven, the line was moved, but recently a direct link between Selby and London has been restored. |
Still to come: Cawood Gas and Coke Company; Water Row; Craft Fair