 Originally dug in 1832–1833, the canal was made 600 ell in length and 6 feet in depth.During the first decade, less than 400 ships and barges, and some 4,000 rowing boats annually found use for it.The remain of the watercourse was dredged during the 1840s and the entire canal subsequently deepened during the 1860s to between 2.97–5.94 metres.