An Act was passed in 1699 to keep the Trent navigable, but works only made a real impact around 1783 when the Trent Navigation Co obtained an Act authorising them to improve the river section from Shardlow to Gainsborough.
1794 an Act allowed the construction of locks and weirs.
1906 an Act was passed to permit the construction of 6 large locks and weirs but only 1 lock was completed until the Trent Navigation Co acquired a section of river and completed the remaining 5.
1947 under the Transport Act the Trent Navigation was taken over by the British Transport Commission.