A Small, Honest Guest House on Micklegate
Micklegate House is exactly what it looks like, a small, family-run, good-value guest house on the historic Micklegate street pattern, fifty yards from Selby Market Place. Three en-suite rooms sit above a Georgian frontage operated alongside The Three Swans pub at 23 Church Hill, one minute up the road. Guests come for the price, the central location (Selby Abbey five minutes one way, the railway station five minutes the other), and the unusually warm welcome at The Three Swans when they call in to collect their key.
It is not a serviced B&B. There is no breakfast, no on-site reception, no lift to the bedrooms, and no kitchen for guests. What you do get is a clean, warm, en-suite room with a flat-screen TV, kettle and free Wi-Fi, the run of Selby on foot from the front door, and a free welcome drink at the pub. Couples particularly value the central location for a two-person trip, and cyclists rate it even more highly because bikes are allowed inside the rooms.
Fifty Yards from Selby Market Place
The address is 67 Micklegate, the original medieval street that leads from Selby Market Place down to the river, lined with independent shops, the local Wetherspoon, three Italians (Sapori, Capri, La Bella), Le Raj and Jinnah Indians, the small Hope Yard Café, and the Selby Trades Hall and Working Men's Club immediately next door at 73 Micklegate. Selby Abbey, founded in 1069, one of the few churches with monastic foundations to survive the Dissolution largely intact, and home of the medieval Washington Window believed to be one of the oldest representations of the heraldry of George Washington's family, is a five-minute walk away through the Market Place. The Market Cross of 1790 sits on the square itself.
This is the part of the stay that does the heavy lifting. Selby station (Grade II listed, opened 22 September 1834 as the first railway station in Yorkshire) is 350 yards from the door, direct trains to Hull, Doncaster, Leeds and Manchester, with selected Hull Trains services running direct to London King's Cross. York is twelve miles away and around twenty minutes by train, making Micklegate House a workable cheap base for a York day-trip.
Check-in at The Three Swans
The check-in story is the property's single most-talked-about quirk, and it works better than it sounds. There is no reception desk at 67 Micklegate. Bring your booking confirmation and photo ID to The Three Swans pub at 23 Church Hill, one minute up the road, where the staff register you, hand over the keys, and offer you a free welcome drink. A free cocktail at sister bar Paradise is offered as an alternative. The latest collection time is 22:00 Sunday to Thursday; Friday and Saturday after 22:00 need to be arranged in advance.
Guests routinely describe the Three Swans crew as the highlight of their stay (the staff draw the warmest feedback of any part of the stay, second only to the location). The flip side: with no on-site staff, anything that needs fixing mid-stay, a broken blind, a slow shower, a smelly drain, is on you to phone in and wait for. Recent reviews call this out honestly. Book Micklegate House for the price and the centrality, not for the housekeeping.
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Interesting Points About Micklegate House
- Check-in is at The Three Swans pub at 23 Church Hill, booked guests get a free welcome drink, and a free cocktail at sister bar Paradise is offered alongside.
- Bikes are welcome inside the rooms, unusual for a budget guest house and the reason TransPennine Trail and NCN Route 65 cyclists keep returning.
- Free on-site parking at the rear (confirmed by the owner in March 2025 Q&A), with the £5.40-per-day Market Place public car park as a paid fallback fifty yards away.
Rooms & Accommodation at Micklegate House
Single Room with Bathroom
Sleeps 1 · 7.5 m² · Private en-suite · Single bed
The smallest of the three rooms and the cheapest entry into Selby. Sleeps one. Private en-suite shower room, central heating, soundproofed window, fully carpeted floor, satellite flat-screen TV, kettle, clothes rack. Lowest nightly rate at the property, popular with solo work-travellers and TransPennine Trail cyclists.
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Double Room with Private Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · 10.2 m² · Private en-suite · Double bed
The mid-tier room, a Double with a private en-suite shower bathroom. 10.2 m² is small but well-organised: socket near the bed, soundproofed window, satellite flat-screen TV, central heating, fan, electric kettle, clothes rack. Suits couples on a one- or two-night central-Selby stay.
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Double or Twin Room with Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · 16.9 m² · Private en-suite · Double OR twin on request
The largest room at the property, 16.9 m², roughly 65 % more floor space than the standard Double, with a wardrobe in addition to the kettle station, and the option of either a double or twin configuration on request. The aubergine duvet and pale pink pillows give it the most distinctive look in the building. En-suite shower, soundproofed window, satellite TV, central heating, fan, clothes rack.
Check PricesIs Micklegate House Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Solo travellers and couples on a budget who want to be in the centre of Selby
- TransPennine Trail / NCN Route 65 cyclists: bikes welcome inside the rooms, no surcharge
- Selby station arrivals: direct trains from Hull, Doncaster, Leeds, Manchester and selected King's Cross services land 350 yards from the door
- Selby Abbey visitors and York day-trippers wanting a cheaper base than York itself (twelve miles by train)
- Drax / Eggborough contractors and short-stay work travellers: quiet, cheap, central, card payment, no need for breakfast
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You want a serviced B&B with daily housekeeping that fixes problems mid-stay: there is no on-site reception
- You want breakfast or a kitchen / microwave: neither is available, plan to eat out (plenty of options within five minutes)
- You have mobility needs: all rooms are on the upper floors and accessed by stairs only, with no lift
- You want to pay in cash: Bankcard only at Micklegate House
- You're travelling with pets: pets are not permitted
Amenities & Facilities
Room Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Private en-suite shower bathroom
- Satellite flat-screen TV
- Electric kettle and tea/coffee tray
- Central heating + fan
- Soundproofed windows
- Fully carpeted floor
- Clothes rack
- Socket near the bed
- Free toiletries, towels, toilet paper
Parking & Transport
- Free on-site parking at the rear (March 2025 owner confirmation)
- Market Place public car park as paid fallback, 50p/hour, £5.40/day, 8am–6pm
- Selby train station, 350 yd / 5-minute walk
- Bus stop Selby, Stand 1, 200 m
- Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), 28 mi
Property & Outdoor
- Three en-suite rooms across two upper floors
- Shared landing fridge
- Snack & drink honesty box on the landing
- Free welcome drink at The Three Swans (or free cocktail at Bar Paradise)
- Bikes welcome inside the rooms, TransPennine Trail / NCN65 friendly
- CCTV outside the property
- Smoke-free property throughout
- Not available: Lift / step-free access
- Not available: On-site restaurant
- Not available: Breakfast service
- Not available: Swimming pool / spa / gym
Services & Policies
- Self-check-in via The Three Swans pub, 23 Church Hill
- Latest key collection: 22:00 Sun–Thu, Fri/Sat by prior arrangement
- Visa, Mastercard and Bankcard accepted
- Cash NOT accepted
- Photo ID + credit card required at check-in
- Children of any age welcome
- Minimum age to book: 18
- Smoke-free throughout
- Not available: Pets
- Not available: Cots or extra beds
67 Micklegate, in the Heart of Selby
Micklegate House sits at 67 Micklegate, on the historic medieval street pattern that runs from Selby Market Place down towards the River Ouse. The property is 50 yards from the town centre. Selby itself is a compact, walkable market town in North Yorkshire on the Ouse, twelve miles south of York, dominated by the Norman/Gothic Abbey founded in 1069 and a working market square that has run since the 14th century. The TransPennine Trail (National Cycle Network Route 65) runs through Selby, which is why the property's "bikes welcome inside the rooms" policy matters.
From the front door you can walk to Selby Abbey in about five minutes, Selby station (Grade II listed, opened in 1834 as the first railway station in Yorkshire) in about five minutes the other way, the Selby Canal towpath in roughly ten, and to a strip of independent restaurants, Sapori, Capri, Le Raj, Jinnah, Tutti's Pizza, Mister C's, the Wetherspoon Giant Bellflower, Barco Lounge, in well under five. The Doghouse micro-pub on Park Street is the spot for craft-beer drinkers; the small Hope Yard Café on the next corner does daytime coffee.
- Selby Abbey: 5-minute walk. Founded 1069, one of the few churches with monastic foundations to survive the Dissolution largely intact, the medieval Washington Window inside is reckoned to be one of the oldest representations of the heraldry of George Washington's family, and so of the 'Stars and Stripes' anywhere in the world.
- Selby Market Place & Market Cross: ~250 m. The working market square has run since the 14th century; the Market Cross dates to 1790. Weekly Monday market plus the Selby Food, Drink & Craft Festival in September and the Christmas Lights Switch-On in December.
- Selby train station: 350 yd · 5-min walk. Grade II listed, opened 22 September 1834 as the eastern terminus of the Leeds and Selby Railway, the first railway station in Yorkshire. Direct trains to Hull, Doncaster, Leeds, Manchester, plus selected Hull Trains services direct to London King's Cross.
- TransPennine Trail (NCN Route 65): Through Selby. Long-distance walking and cycling trail on the trackbed of the former York and Doncaster Branch (opened 1871), the York–Selby section was the second disused railway line bought and converted to a traffic-free path by Sustrans.
- Selby Canal & River Ouse towpath: Short walk. The 6-mile Selby Canal opened on 29 April 1778, engineered by William Jessop for the Aire and Calder Navigation Company at a cost of £20,000, and is still navigable.
- Selby Trades Hall & Working Men's Club: Next door at 73 Micklegate. Working club, useful local context for what the immediate street is.
- The Three Swans, 23 Church Hill: 1-minute walk. The pub where you collect your key, five cask ales typically on tap, sports TV, karaoke at weekends, and a free welcome drink for every booked party.
- Brayton Barff: Within 3 km. Wooded hillock with bluebell walks; the closest properly green walk from Selby town centre.
- York Minster: 12 mi · ~20 min by train. The reason a lot of guests stay in Selby instead of York itself, cheaper rooms, same Minster day-trip.
Getting to Key Locations
Selby Abbey
5 min walk
Five minutes' walk through the Market Place. Founded 1069, one of the few churches with monastic foundations to survive the Dissolution largely intact (alongside Westminster Abbey). Inside is the medieval Washington Window, believed to carry one of the oldest representations of the heraldry of George Washington's family, and so, by extension, of the 'Stars and Stripes', in the world; the glass is thought to be in the Abbey thanks to a benefaction from John Wessington, Prior of Durham 1416–1446. Concerts, choral evensongs and the December Christmas Tree Festival run year-round.
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Photo: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
Market Place & Market Cross
Selby's medieval market square has run since the 14th century; the Market Cross at its centre dates to 1790. Two minutes from Micklegate House. The weekly Monday market, a monthly farmers' market, the Selby Food, Drink & Craft Festival in September and the Selby Christmas Lights Switch-On in December all happen here. The Wetherspoon, Lloyds Bank, TUI Travel Money and most of the town's everyday shops sit around the square.
View on Map
Photo: Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0
Selby Station & TransPennine Trail
350 yards from the front door. Grade II listed Victorian station, opened 22 September 1834 as the eastern terminus of the Leeds and Selby Railway, the first railway station in Yorkshire. Three platforms, 130-space car park, ticket office and platform café. Direct trains to Hull, Doncaster, Leeds and Manchester; selected Hull Trains services run direct to London King's Cross. The TransPennine Trail (NCN Route 65) passes through the station and the town, on the trackbed of the former York and Doncaster Branch opened in 1871.
View on MapHow to Get to Micklegate House from London or York
- Take the train to Selby: From London King's Cross, selected Hull Trains services run direct to Selby (~2h 15m); LNER East Coast services run to Doncaster (~1h 35m) where you change for a Northern or Hull Trains service direct to Selby (~25m). From York, frequent Northern services reach Selby in about 20 minutes. Selby station is Grade II listed and opened in 1834.
- Walk five minutes to 67 Micklegate: Exit Selby station and turn right onto Station Road. Walk ~350 yards along Park Street into Micklegate. Number 67 is on the left.
- Collect your key from The Three Swans pub: Carry on along Micklegate for one more minute to 23 Church Hill, The Three Swans pub. Bring your booking confirmation and photo ID. Staff register you, hand over the key, and offer you a free welcome drink. Latest collection time is 22:00 Sun–Thu; Fri/Sat after 22:00 needs to be arranged in advance.
Selby at a Glance
Selby is a compact, walkable market town in North Yorkshire on the River Ouse, twelve miles south of York and dominated by Selby Abbey (1069). The Market Place has run since the 14th century, the Selby Canal opened on 29 April 1778, and the railway station opened on 22 September 1834, the first railway station in Yorkshire. The town is small, lived-in, and most of what visitors come for sits within a fifteen-minute walk of Micklegate House.
Three reasons to plan a stay around a date. The Selby Food, Drink & Craft Festival in September lights up the Market Place. The Selby Christmas Market and Lights Switch-On in early December turns Market Cross into the town's living room, plus the Abbey runs its Christmas Tree Festival. And April–September is the cycling window, the TransPennine Trail (NCN Route 65) runs through Selby on the trackbed of the former York and Doncaster Branch (opened 1871), and Micklegate House's bikes-in-the-rooms policy makes the property a practical overnight stop on the trail.
A Quick Look at Selby
A short walking-vlog look at Selby, the market town twelve miles south of York on the River Ouse, by 'A tramp in the hills'. Useful background while you're planning what to do beyond Micklegate House's front door.
What Guests Say About Micklegate House
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Passable
Guest feedback reflects a real split. Guests who arrive expecting a budget-tier, central place to sleep, and who appreciate the unusual welcome at The Three Swans, leave happy; guests who expect a serviced bed-and-breakfast experience tend to be disappointed by maintenance niggles and the fact that nobody is on site to fix them mid-stay. Praise consistently centres on the location, the warm reception at the pub, and the value for the price. Complaints cluster on soft mattresses, inconsistent shower temperature, dirty shared areas and the absence of any on-site staff. Book it for the postcode and the price, not for the housekeeping.
Superb value in a really convenient spot. The staff are based just metres away at another site but couldn't have been more helpful. Being right in the town centre is a big plus, the room was warm and the shower excellent, the complimentary tea and coffee were all proper brands, and a free drink at the local bar topped it off.
2026-02-22Good, location was central to everything in Selby.
2026-02-23Good location, close to where I was working. There's no kitchen or microwave if you fancy cooking, but it's central and there's plenty of food to be found nearby.
2026-04-19Affordable, well placed and decent value. You check in over at the Three Swans pub, and get a free pint into the bargain. The receptionist was lovely and walked us round to the nearby rooms, five minutes from the Abbey and ten from the station. Room and bathroom were simple but spotless, looking out over the little square and the Abbey.
2026-04-30Thanks. Simple but did everything I needed, and about what I'd expect for the cost.
2026-05-06Comfortable but needs more TLC and attention to detail. Central, great location, and the radiator in the bathroom was nice and warm for towels. The bed was comfortable and decor was pleasant, okay for a one-night stay, but a broken blind, expired milk sachets and the shared landing fridge being a bit dirty let it down.
2026-05-17Good to Know Before You Book
Check-in is at The Three Swans pub, 23 Church Hill
There is no on-site reception. Walk one minute up the road to The Three Swans with your booking confirmation and photo ID. Staff there register you, hand over the keys, and offer a free welcome drink. Latest collection time is 22:00 Sun–Thu; Fri/Sat after 22:00 needs to be arranged in advance.
No breakfast, no kitchen, no microwave
Plan to eat out. There are cafés and restaurants within five minutes, Sapori, Capri, La Bella, Le Raj, Jinnah, the Wetherspoon Giant Bellflower, Barco Lounge and the Hope Yard Café among them. The shared landing fridge is for chilled drinks/snacks only, not cooking.
Card payment only, no cash accepted
Visa, Mastercard and Bankcard are accepted; cash is not. Photo ID and a credit/debit card are required at check-in.
Stairs only, all rooms on the upper floors
Bedrooms are on the first and second floors, accessed by stairs only. There is no lift and the stairs are narrow. The property is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.
Bikes welcome inside the rooms
TransPennine Trail and NCN Route 65 cyclists can keep their bike in the bedroom, no surcharge, no separate bike store needed.
Free parking at the rear
The owner confirmed free on-site parking at the rear in March 2025. The Market Place public car park is a paid fallback at 50p/hour or £5.40/day (8am–6pm) if the on-site spaces are full.
Call Micklegate House
Want to ask about late key collection, parking or special requests? Call Micklegate House directly via the number listed on the property's Facebook page.
+44 7876 442010Photos of Micklegate House
Frequently Asked Questions
Keys are collected from The Three Swans pub at 23 Church Hill, a one-minute walk from 67 Micklegate. Bring your booking confirmation and photo ID. Staff there register you, hand over the key, and offer a free welcome drink. The latest collection time is 22:00 Sunday to Thursday; Friday and Saturday after 22:00 need to be arranged in advance.
Yes, the owner confirmed free on-site parking at the rear in a March 2025 traveller Q&A. The Market Place public car park sits two minutes away at 50p/hour or £5.40/day (8am–6pm) as a paid fallback.
Selby Abbey is about a 5-minute walk through the Market Place. Selby train station is 350 yards / about a 5-minute walk in the other direction along Park Street.
No, Micklegate House does not serve breakfast and there is no kitchen or microwave for guest use. Plenty of cafés and restaurants sit within a 5-minute walk, including the Hope Yard Café, Barco Lounge, Sapori, Capri, Le Raj, Jinnah, the Wetherspoon Giant Bellflower and Mister C's.
No, pets are not permitted at Micklegate House. Bikes, however, are welcome inside the rooms at no extra charge, useful for cyclists on the TransPennine Trail or National Cycle Route 65.
No, cots and extra beds are not available, and there is no dedicated family room. Children of any age are welcome but each booking is limited to the maximum occupancy of the room booked (1 for the Single, 2 for the Doubles and Double/Twin).
No, all rooms sit on the first and second floors and are accessed by stairs only. There is no lift and the staircase is narrow. The property is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.
Check-in runs from 14:00 to 22:00 via The Three Swans pub at 23 Church Hill (Friday and Saturday after 22:00 by prior arrangement). Check-out is until 11:00. The property accepts Visa, Mastercard and Bankcard, cash is not accepted, and photo ID + a credit card are required at check-in.
Other Great Stays in Yorkshire & the North
St George's Hotel, Hull
Independent Hull hotel about 35 miles east of Selby, the easiest sibling option if your trip includes a Humberside leg.
The Podworks Hotel, Liverpool
Compact-pod hotel in central Liverpool, useful if Selby is a Yorkshire stop on a wider North-of-England trip.
Balmore Guest House, Edinburgh
Family-run Edinburgh guest house in the same budget-traveller bracket as Micklegate House, for guests heading north on the East Coast Main Line.
Ready to Book Micklegate House?
Free on-site parking, free Wi-Fi, bikes welcome inside the rooms, and a free welcome drink at The Three Swans when you check in. 67 Micklegate, Selby, 5 minutes from Selby Abbey, 5 minutes from Selby station.
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