Guided walking tours, street theatre, a treasure hunt, special exhibitions and a Waterways Heritage Festival are just a few of the events taking place over the five-day birthday extravaganza
Val & Halla will be just one of the street theatre performers on Saturday 18 July(Image: Submitted)
Goole is gearing up to celebrate its 200th birthday this month – and will celebrate with an action-packed long weekend of events. The birthday falls on Monday 20 July and events will be happening from Thursday 16 July and last up until the day itself. Billed as the Goole Bicentenary Community & Heritage Celebration, highlights include a Waterways Heritage Festival organised by Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society and guided walking tours organised by Goole Civic Society. Also on the bill is a family-friendly treasure hunt.
Goole Museum will launch the latest in a series of special exhibitions and there will be fun, interactive street theatre organised by East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Events and activities will be taking place across the town throughout the weekend. Most events are free to attend although, in some cases, there’s an entry fee and/or places must be booked in advance. A detailed event listings guide can be found on the Goole 200 website, but here’s a small selection of the many, must-see events, activities and attractions that will be taking place:
Based at Goole Museum, Susan Beaulah is the town’s Bicentenary Artist In Residence for the entire month of July. See if you can spot her out and about painting in the town centre.
Goole Civic Society’s Goole Bicentenary Timeline Exhibition is on display in the Workshop at Junction Goole up until 20 July. Exploring 200 years of history, it tells Goole’s story from its official opening as a company town and dock in 1826 to the present day.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has arranged for a series of fun, family-friendly walkabout Street Theatre Performances by Markmark Productions to take place along the Boothferry Road precinct on Saturday 18 July. Be sure to look out for Team Bgee from 11.15am, Val & Halla from 12.45pm and Chefs De Chansons from 2.15pm as you make your way to and from the many events and attractions taking place across the town centre.
Reuben Chappell: Master Of The Masts, the latest in a series of special exhibitions taking place at Goole Museum during the town’s bicentenary year, launches on Saturday 18 July and runs until late October. It celebrates the life and work of Goole-born artist Reuben Chappell (1870-1940) and features 40 of his works, many of which have never been on public display before.
Goole Civic Society has planned a fun, family-friendly bicentenary treasure hunt, and local businesses have generously sponsored more than £500 worth of prizes. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is buy a numbered ticket for just £2 and then search the town to claim your prize. Numbers will be displayed at a location somewhere in the town centre on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July. Entry tickets can be bought from Primrose Gifts at 30 Carlisle Street between 16 and 18 July, or from Goole Civic Society’s online shop. For further details, including a list of treasure hunt locations to check out, visit the Goole 200 website.
On Saturday 18 July, Goole Library is hosting a free, family-friendly event called Goole 200: Past, Present And Future. Take your memories of Goole along so that The Coffeewriter can create a bespoke poem just for you; join artist Tony Wade in painting a big, shared artwork celebrating the town; and help to shape the sound of Goole’s future in Noise Academy’s interactive musical workshop. Drop into the library any time between 10am and 3pm to get involved.
Enjoy a Heritage Canal Trip aboard Tilly as part of the Waterways Heritage Festival, which has been organised by Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society and is taking place throughout the weekend. Places must be booked in advance by visiting the “events” page on Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society’s website.
Goole Civic Society has planned a series of guided walks throughout the weekend, which are free to attend but places must be booked in advance. Visit Goole Civic Society’s website for more information. Bookings can be made through Eventbrite for both tours, which include:
- A Goole Company Town Walking Tour, exploring areas of Goole built when it was first developed as the ‘Company Town’ of the Aire and Calder Navigation Company.
- A Goole Docks Walking Tour, exploring the town’s historic docks.
In a nod to what happened when the port and town of Goole officially opened in 1826, on Saturday 18 July a Flotilla Of Vessels will navigate the Knottingley to Goole Canal, making its way through South Dock Bridge, around the docks and back again. The flotilla will be decorated and horns will be sounded to commemorate the port’s 200th birthday celebrations. Members of the public are encouraged to view and photograph the flotilla as it makes its way around Goole Docks. It will assemble on the canal, close to Goole Marina, at 12.30pm and set off at 2pm, returning at 4pm. This event has been organised by Yorkshire Waterways Heritage Society as part of a programme of Waterways Heritage events taking place across the weekend.
Stephen Walker, Chair of the Goole Bicentenary Community Group and also a member of Goole Civic Society, said: “Goole 2026 has been a great success in terms of bringing together local community groups, individuals and charity organisations to celebrate the town’s bicentenary year. We’re all delighted with how local people have engaged with the town’s bicentenary and hope the projects that we’re collectively delivering will leave a lasting legacy of community engagement and pride in Goole’s heritage.”
Councillor Nick Coultish, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: “We’re proud to support the wonderful work of the Goole 2026 Bicentenary Community Group, with the aim of bringing the programme of events that partners have planned to the attention of a wider audience. We want to encourage visitors to come to Goole and, of course, ensure there are plenty of opportunities for local people of all ages and interests to get involved in the Goole 2026 celebrations.”
The Goole 200 website also features information about the many other special events and activities taking place throughout the remainder of Goole’s 200th birthday year. It brings details of the bicentenary events and activities planned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council together on one platform, alongside information about the many celebratory events being planned by the Goole 2026 Bicentenary Group and other community and voluntary sector organisations across the town.
For all the information, visit the dedicated website at: www.goole200.org.uk
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