Selby Abbey is unique in the North of England, as the first monastery to be founded in the North after the Norman Conquest and one of the few in England to have survived as a parish church. The Abbey was granted its founding charter by William the Conqueror and has connections with France, Germany and the USA. It is reputed to be the birthplace in September 1068 of King Henry I of England, the son of King William I and Queen Mathilda.

Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated 12.1 miles (19.5 km) south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.