I was a teenager the last time I visited Selby. I remember peering out of the car window at a rain-soaked landscape with a lot of reed beds, then going past a couple of towering flour mills and into the town centre.

Strangely, I didn’t remember the market town’s most striking feature – Selby Abbey. Perhaps our quick stopover – on the way to somewhere else – was too brief to take in this magnificent building.

On a proper visit, the abbey should be the first port of call. With parts dating back to the 12th century, its architecture and stunning stained glass windows are fascinating.

As we strolled around, my husband and I marvelled over the splendour and quirky points of interest which include a leper squint – a hole in the outer wall connected to a narrow opening that allowed lepers to view the high altar without entering the building. And there’s the famous 14th century Washington window bearing the Washington family coat of arms that formed the model for the present day stars and stripes American flag.

The abbey features on a UK-wide American heritage trail due to the small heraldic stars and stripes design in the stained glass window. Similar shields and designs are shown on the family’s arms at Great Brington in Northamptonshire, which was their ancestral home.

Sparkling like a million jewels as the sun shone through it, the abbey’s East window is one of the finest examples of its kind in the UK.

In the shop – which is also home to a small cafe – I chatted to Ken, one of the friendly abbey regulars, who gave me a potted history of the building which survived not only war and dissolution, but structural collapse and then, in 1906, a major fire.

With its grand columns, the Norman nave is awe-inspiring, and it was lovely to stroll around admiring the carved pillars and interesting tombs.

The abbey is in the centre of town beside a pleasant square where, on Mondays, a market is held. We visited on Saturday, so unfortunately missed it, but I made up for it by investigating a few charity shops. As always, my husband waited outside, but I managed to drag him in to try on a bargain jacket, which he loved.

There are plenty of charity shops in Selby – which, if I’m honest, in terms of shops is a bit down at heel – with its fair share of tatty shop fronts and empty units.

But there are a few retail gems, too, like Wetherell’s department store. Family-owned, this three-storey shop complete with cafe, dates back to 1898. With an ‘Are You Being Served’ atmosphere, we enjoyed browsing around. We chatted to staff, who pointed out Wetherell family members working in the store.

There’s a lovely cheese shop, Mollie Sharp’s, in Finkle Street and, to my surprise, the town has a branch of New Look, which would have pleased my daughters had they been with us.

We walked over the River Ouse, that weaves its way around the town, joining Selby Canal. The river is tidal at this point, and navigable upstream as far as York. The 11.75-mile-long canal runs from the River Aire Navigation at Dole Bank Junction near Wakefield. Colourful narrow boats can be spotted in the canal basin.

In the past, Selby had a large shipbuilding industry and was an important port, for the most part due to Selby Canal which brought trade from the city of Leeds.

For a time the town formed the bustling hub of Selby Coalfield, at one time the leading coal mining area in the UK. The most technologically-advanced coalfield of its kind, it came into operation in 1983 as the first new mine to open in the UK for decades. Made up of one drift mine and five pits, it covered 110 square miles – an area the size of the Isle of Wight.

But it lasted just 20 years. The last of five pits closing in 2004 due, the owners said, to rising costs caused by deteriorating geological conditions and the falling price of coal. Around 1,700 mining jobs were lost.

Around the town, Selby Civic Society has been busy highlighting historic points of interest and buildings including Corunna House, a fine, early 18th century house overlooking the Ouse.

Another plaque states that Henry l Beauclerc, the fourth son of William the Conquerer and Matilda of Flanders was born in the area in 1068. The boy later became Henry l King of England from 1100 to 1135.

Feeling peckish, we asked around and were directed to Hope Yard Cafe in Micklegate, a friendly, relaxing eaterie serving light meals and snacks including homemade soup, baked potatoes and paninis. We sat facing a ‘Keep Calm Eat Cake’ sign – and did just that.

From Micklegate, the flour mills loom large. Many are now redundant, their rusty hulks suffering neglect, but others still operate. One houses Premier Foods Rank Hovis.

The rail link to Selby from Leeds opened in 1834, and still brings visitors to the town for the weekly market. When it opened, the 20-mile railway line passed under the first tunnel through which passengers were driven by a locomotive engine.

In 1911, Joseph E Morris, the well-travelled author of the Little Guides to Yorkshire, thought Selby ‘as dull a little town as any in the West Riding’.

I wonder what he would make of Selby – which became part of North Yorkshire in 1974 – more than a century later? It may not be buzzing and may not offer as much as its neighbour, York, but there’s certainly plenty to keep a visitor happy for a nice afternoon out. We will be going again – for a cup of tea in Wetherell’s.

Factfile:

There is a direct train service from Bradford Interchange to Selby.
Travel by car (38 miles) takes around 50 minutes.