Transport has changed dramatically over the centuries, and it is only within the last 70-80 years that families had their own motorised form of transport. Prior to this time people either walked, cycled or used horses either to ride or to pull carts and carriages. Public road transport was by horse drawn bus before the which was at some point owned by Mr. Trees.
Although no evidence has been found as to the state of the ‘main road’ through the village it is reasonable to assume that originally it was little more than a dirt track used by farm vehicles, which would have been horse drawn. A report has been found that the Hambleton Causeway was in a very poor state in 1640.
Hambleton has continued to develop either side of the A63, previously known as the Leeds to Selby Turnpike Road effectively dividing it into north and south sides. Until the arrival of the railway the road was the only way to travel outside the village.
Hambleton Railway Station was officially opened on 22nd September,1834. The railway was used for many years as the main mode of transport used to transport goods in and out of the village. Anson Brothers Ltd advertised in 1908 that orders for jams, pickles, sauces etc would be transported free by rail to customers.
The Red Lion, probably in the early 1930s, ran on railway time! Mr Sales, a guard on the railway had a watch provided by his employers and would call into the Red Lion so that the landlady could check her clocks were right. (Irvin Memoirs)
Children who passed the ‘scholarship’ in the 1930s would use the train to travel to Selby.
Mr Trees, the local coal merchant used to take his horse and cart down to the railway sidings in the village to collect the coal. Joe Lister took over the coal business from Mr. Trees.
Frank Millington, a local farmer, can remember collecting cattle from the station and walking them through the village with his father, this was probably in the early 1950s. Someone went ahead of the cattle closing the gates on Station Road to prevent the cattle from going into people’s gardens.