When it comes to waterways transportation, Sheffield has always been somewhat 'land locked', and to an extent remains so today apart from the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, linking the City Centre to the River Don, via Tinsley.  The final stage of the journey, prior to the Sheffield Canal being built was terminated at Tinsley.  Goods were then transported by cart into Sheffield.  This was not ideal, especially when one reflects that the only bulk cargo carriers of the day were working boats. 

The first plans to link Sheffield to the outside world - by water, were drawn up in 1697, but it wasn't until nearly 120 years later that these plans, promoted by the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, were fulfilled by the creation of the Sheffield Canal Company, by Act of Parliament on the 7th June 1815.

On 22nd February 1819 - less than 4 years from the Company being formed, the canal, all 3.9 miles between Tinsley and the new Sheffield Basin was opened.  Such was the magnitude of the opening that a General Holiday was announced and a crowd of 60,000 locals turned up to celebrate.

Less than 30 years later on the 22nd July 1848, after the canal had seen quite unprecedented success, the Company was aquired, ironically, by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. 

1895 saw the end of the Sheffield Canal as an independent navigation when it was merged with the River Don Navigation and the Stainforth & Keadby canal to become what to this day is known as the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

The railways and more recently, motorways meant the waterways were seen as slow and uneconomical.  The waterways network carried less cargo, unable to compete.  By the 1970s most of the Inland Waterways network were in total decline.  Unwelcoming, derelict and often dangerous.  Locks fell into disrepair, entire pounds were left untended, many stretches were filled in and built on by property developers.  The glory days of waterway transport were over.

The Sheffield Canal Basin became effectively forgotten and abandoned - seen by many as an unsightly embarrassment.