4 o 
SELBY ABBEY AND ITS BUILDERS. 
central tower still remains, the upper storey of which fell in 1690, 
causing great destruction to the South Aisle of Choir as w 7 ell as 
completely demolishing the South Transept. 
The accompanying plan of the central part of town, Fig. 2, 
shows the positions of the various ancient buildings referred to 
in these notes.* 
In the centre is the Abbey with some remains of the Monastic 
buildings indicated by dotted lines. The great Gatehouse of the 
Abbey, demolished about the year 1792 ; there were probably 
other gateways, say, for instance, in Ousegate and Micklegate. 
In the Market Place we have the old Gothic Market Cross ; a 
quaint old building in Micklegate. The Soke Mill, probably the 
Abbey flour mill; the Abbot’s Staithe, of which some of the massive 
masonry still remains ; an ancient warehouse of some considerable 
extent close by, and formerly belonging to the Monastery. Then 
there is the quaint old wooden bridge, which makes a very 
picturesque subject for the artist. On the south side of the town, 
at the end of James Street, are the remains of the great Tithe 
Barn and Granary belonging to the Abbey, of which only a 
fragment now remains. A large portion was demolished when 
a new street was formed a few years ago. But we are digressing 
from our story of the Builders of the Monastery. 
Hugh de Lacy, previously mentioned, was the most distinguished 
of the Abbots of Selby. His character, as lovingly portrayed by 
his biographers, presents a beautiful picture of Monastic life under 
its bests aspects—that of active labour. His name should ever 
be venerated by the townspeople of Selby, since it was by his 
energy and pious zeal that the noble Church of the Abbey was 
built. 
There are few pictures more tempting to describe (excluding, of 
course, our own venerable city) than the town of Selby as it 
appeared during the time the Monastery was being reared by 
Abbot Hugh and his fellow-labourers. 
In the whirl and uproar of our own day it is very difficult to 
imagine the spectacle which in those days caught the eye, gazing 
on a secluded Abbe) 7 and the adjacent grange. In black tunics 
and leathern girdles—the emblems of chastity—might be seen 
carters yoking their bullocks to the team ; or driving them to the 
*Plans of central part of Town and Abbey Church by C. C. Hodges. 
Yorks. Arch. Journal. Vol. xii. 
