Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately 45 miles (72 km) inland on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The port is "highly versatile", and is capable of handling nearly 3 million tonnes of cargo per annum, making it one of the most important ports on the east coast of England.
Goole is twinned with Zlotów, Poland (and was twinned with Rostock, northern Germany in 1969 although this seems to have lapsed). Goole was informally twinned with Gibraltar in the 1960s, at that time Gibraltar Court was named in Goole and Goole Court was named in Gibraltar.
The civil engineer Cornelius Vermuyden from the Netherlands diverted the River Don northwards to the River Ouse in 1626-9 to drain the marshland of Hatfield Chase at the behest of King Charles I. This also made the lower Don navigable for small barges so that coal from South Yorkshire coalfields was transported to "Goole" at the new mouth of the Don (or "Dutch River") for transfer to seagoing vessels.
The Aire and Calder Navigation Company opened their broad canal from Knottingley in the northern sector of the coalfield in 1826 together with eight transshipment docks at Goole and a company-built town. This gave rise to several innovations in materials handling by the chief engineer, William Bartholomew. In 1863 he introduced the Tom Pudding system of compartment boats which could each carry around 40 long tons (41,000 kg) of coal. In the docks Bartholomew introduced large boat hoists which could lift the Puddings and discharge directly into sea going ships which exported the coal to all parts of the world. These managed to compete with rail and were used until 1985.
For most of the life of the port, coal has been the dominent commodity handled. Another commodity associated with the mining industry has been pit props. These were traditionally stored floating in the water at the Timber Pond. With the decline of the mining industry, pit props are no longer imported and the Timber Pond is now a marina trading under the name, Goole Boathouse. It has berths for 150 boats and is the largest inland waterway marina in Yorkshire.
The three locks that keep the water in thirty-seven acres of docks at a constant depth of six metres by preventing the level from rising and falling with the tides in the River Ouse. Ships and barges entering the port must first pass through the locks. Once inside there are eight docks with a total of three miles of quayside at which they can berth. Besides the docks are transit sheds where cargo is stored, many of which are equipped with overhead cranes. Goole has regular cargo liner services to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Morocco and South Africa. There is also trade by charter vessel to and from many other countries, including Russia, Denmark, Italy and the Mediterranean. Cargo from other parts of the world such as the U.S.A, China and Australia reaches Goole by transshipment services from Rotterdam. When Goole first opened as a port it was a small new village of about 450 people. Now it is a small town with about 18,000 inhabitants.
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway built a line from Pontefract and Wakefield in 1848 and the North Eastern Railway connected with Doncaster and Hull in 1870. The prosperity from the coal and general cargo trade with the West Riding industrial area continued for 150 years after the opening of the canal. After a period of decline, these commodities were more than replaced by containers, the export of steel and the import of timber from north-eastern Europe. The two original 1826 docks, along with all six others built later, are still in full operation. Goole railway station is on the Sheffield to Hull Line and is the terminus of the Pontefract Line.
Glass and clothing are produced in Goole and it is the focus of an agricultural district.
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Goole's twin water towers dubbed the salt and pepper pots
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Former Bank On Aire Street In Goole
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The Old George On Boothferry Road in Goole
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Yorkshire Bank On Boothferry Road in Goole
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Goole Train Station
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Boothferry Road the Main Shopping Centre
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Junction Goole Town Council Offices
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Bridge On Aire Street Into The Port At Goole
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Shops On Aire Street In Goole
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Pubs on Aire Steet In Goole
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The Royal Hotel on Aire Steet In Goole
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Old Building On North Street In Goole
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Shipping Offices On St John Street In Goole
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Container Yard On Aire Street In Goole
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The Venue On North Street In Goole
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City And County On Boothferry Road in Goole
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The Clock Tower On Boothferry Road in Goole
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Boats On The Aire And Calder Basin At Goole
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Goole Police Station On Estcourt Terrace
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Goole Market On Estcourt Terrace
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Former Woolworths On Boothferry Road
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Times Printing Company On Boothferry Road
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Boothferry Road In Goole
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Yorkshire Electricity Company On Coronation Street In Goole
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Shops On Mariners Street In Goole
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Subway On Boothferry Road In Goole
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Shops On Edinburgh Street In Goole
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Haig Memorial Hall On Pasture Road In Goole
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Pasture Road In Goole
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Bridge Street In Goole
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Hudson Ward Grain Cylos On Albert Street
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Bridge Over The Dutch River In Goole
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Docks On Albert Street In Goole
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A Tom Pudding hoist in Goole
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Loading Dock On The Dutch River In Goole
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Scrapyard On Hook Pasture Lane In Goole
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Boats On The Aire And Calder Basin At Goole
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The Vermuyden On Bridge Street In Goole