Editing River Foss (section)

==History==

In 1069 [[William the Conqueror]] dammed the Foss just south of York Castle, close to its confluence with the Ouse creating a moat around the castle.<ref name="Damming"/> It caused the river to flood further upstream in what is now the Hungate and [[Layerthorpe]] areas, forming a large lake that was known as the "King's Pool" or the "King's Fish Pond" and which provided fish for the markets.<ref name="Foss"/> The lake was approximately 100 acres in extent and fishing was allowed by licence, except for the King's Men.<ref name="Damming"/>

The King's Pool was part of the city's inner defences during the Middle Ages as the marsh was virtually impassable and explains why there is no city wall between Layerthorpe Postern and the Red Tower.<ref name="Foss"/>

In the 17th century, the King's Pool and the Foss were in decline because silt from upriver collected in the Pool, and not enough water came down to move it on despite the main channel of the River Foss having been deepened in 1608.<ref name="Damming"/> Eventually the lake was too shallow to remain viable as a defence. In 1644 the lake was shallow enough for Parliamentarian forces under Sir [[Thomas Fairfax]] to consider crossing it on foot to break the [[Siege of York]] during the [[English Civil War]].<ref name="Foss"/>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Foss Navigation Act 1793
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for making and maintaining a Navigable Communication from the Junction of the River Foss with the River Ouse, at or near the City of York, to Stillington Mill, in the Parish of Stillington, in the North Riding of the County of York; and for draining and improving certain Low Lands, lying on each Side of the said River Foss.
| year                  = 1793
| citation              = [[33 Geo. 3]]. c. 99
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 30 April 1793
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Foss Navigation and Drainage Act 1801
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = 
| year                  = 1801
| citation              = [[41 Geo. 3. (U.K.)]] c. cxv
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 23 June 1801
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/41/115/pdfs/ukla_18010115_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In 1727 an order was placed upon [[Arthur Ingram|Arthur Ingram, 6th Viscount of Irvine]] to scour the River Foss from the Castle Mills to Foss Bridge, making it eight yards wide at the top and four yards at the bottom, and, in 1731 the Little Foss, the extension to enclose [[York Castle|the castle]] was drained.<ref name="Damming"/> In the 18th century, the water was so low that marshy islands were created (hence the modern name Foss Islands). Citizens used the river as a rubbish tip which became a health hazard. The '''{{visible anchor|Foss Navigation Act 1793}}''' ([[33 Geo. 3]]. c. 99) and the '''{{visible anchor|Foss Navigation and Drainage Act 1801}}''' ([[41 Geo. 3. (U.K.)]] c. cxv) were enacted to make the Foss navigable<ref name="Damming"/> and saw the end of the King's Pool. The Foss Navigation Company canalised the river from 1778,<ref name="Damming"/> to make it navigable as far as [[Sheriff Hutton]].<ref name="Foss"/>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = York Drainage and Sanitary Improvement Act 1853
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = 
| year                  = 1853
| citation              = [[16 & 17 Vict.]] c. lvi
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 28 June 1853
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/16-17/56/pdfs/ukla_18530056_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = York Improvement (Foss Abandonment) Act 1859
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to authorize the Abandonment of the Foss Navigation from a Point about Two hundred Yards above the York Union Workhouse near the City of York; to alter, repeal, and amend the Acts relating to the said Navigation; and for other Purposes.
| year                  = 1859
| citation              = [[22 Vict.]] c. xix
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 19 April 1859
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
The '''{{visible anchor|York Drainage and Sanitary Improvement Act 1853}}''' ([[16 & 17 Vict.]] c. lvi) saw York Corporation purchase the River Foss from the Foss Navigation Company. The '''{{visible anchor|York Improvement (Foss Abandonment) Act 1859}}''' ([[22 Vict.]] c. xix) allowed the river above Yearsley Bridge was abandoned as a waterway.<ref name="Damming"/>

Stillington Hall was a mansion on the west side of the Foss and adjoining the village of the same name. It was the home of the Croft family, who are descended from a common ancestor with the house of Croft, of [[Croft Castle]] in Herefordshire.<ref name="Damming"/>