Recent History
Whilst the railways created further industrial expansion and the Brayford's prosperity continued well into the 20th century, the barges could eventually no longer compete with the rapidly developing road and rail networks. The Brayford area once more fell into decline; mills and many other businesses closed and the water became punctuated by half submerged, derelict barges. By the 1964 the Brayford Wharf area was in such a poor state it was proposed that it should be filled in and turned into a car park. In 1969 the Brayford Trust was established. Restoration of the Brayford Pool began with its establishment as a Marina for pleasure boats.
Most of the buildings on the east wharf including Dickinson's Mill and the Holmes Grain Warehouse survived up to the early 1970's. Until 1972, when Wigford Way was constructed, (the road that runs in front of Wigford House, towards the Lincolnshire Echo building), traffic used to pass over a swing bridge. The last early waterside structure on East Wharf, Hercocks Banana Warehouse, was demolished in 1993. Green's Marine Engineers (between the Quayside pub and the 1950's 'wavy' roofed building), the electricity works (on the north bank, past the Marriott hotel) and the Royal William IV Public House are the only pre-1945 buildings that can be seen today.
In 1993 a project company was set up and given the task of making the dream of a university in Lincoln a reality. The city and county raised £32 million to pay for the first stages of Lincoln University. The building work began on derelict former railway land on the South side of the Brayford.
