The
Foss Dyke, or
Fossdyke, connects the
River Trent at
Torksey to
Lincoln, the county town of
Lincolnshire, and may be the oldest
canal in England that is still in use. It is usually thought to have been built around 120 AD by the
Romans, but there is no consensus among authors. It was refurbished in 1121, during the reign of King
Henry I, and responsibility for its maintenance was transferred to the city of Lincoln by
King James I. Improvements made in 1671 included a navigable sluice or lock at Torksey, and warehousing and wharves were built at Brayford Pool in the centre of Lincoln.