Event to mark 20 years since decline of famous shipyard

Cochrane & Sons played a vital part in Selby’s industrial history for almost 100 years from 1898 to 1992, making it one of the most significant employers in the region and an important supplier of vessels to the Admiralty in both World Wars.

The closure of the yard resulted in the loss of 500 jobs, and ended a tradition of shipbuilding in Selby first recorded in the fifteenth century.

Last year, the North Yorkshire County Record Office obtained £48,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to open up the archive of Cochrane & Sons - consisting of more than 100m of records - as a community resource.

Now an anniversary event is being held at Selby College on July 3, to mark 20 years since the last ship was launched from Cochrane & Sons, and to give people a chance to explore a selection of records from the company’s archives.

Coun Chris Metcalfe, North Yorkshire’s executive member for the County Record Office, said: “Shipbuilding was a crucial part of Selby life for generations and this project represents one of the most important archives of the town’s history.”

The anniversary event takes place between 1pm and 6pm.