Construction of the eight mile North Wilts Canal began in 1814 and it opened on 2nd April 1819, forming a vital link between the Wilts & Berks Canal and the Thames & Severn Canal. It left the Wilts & Berks Canal in the centre of Swindon and dropped sixty feet via twelve locks to join the Thames & Severn Canal at Latton Basin. A tunnel took the canal through Cricklade, and several aqueducts were used to span waterways including the River Ray north of Swindon, and the River Key south of Cricklade. The last boat went through the North Wilts Canal in 1911 and it was finally abandoned in 1927.