Sam Scorer, the notable Lincoln architect, prepared this plan for the City Council in 1962.

Key elements were:
2 Boat Club
3 South Bank promenade
4 Warehouses
5 New Brayford Head bridge
6 Chamber of Commerce
7 Transport buildings
8 Mills

A watercolour painting of the Brayford at Lincoln by Countess Manvers (born Marie-Louise Roosevelt Butterfield), 1889-1984.

Lady Manvers trained in Paris and over her long life painted many scenes around the East Midlands, especially of her home at Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire.

The Pierrepont collection of her work (c600 paintings) is held at Thoresby.

The north-east corner of Brayford, a very popular view for photographers and artists.

There is busy commercial activity on the right, Brayford Wharf East.

Frith postcard, undated

Another view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

On the extreme left is the tower of Newland Congregational Church and the cathedral shows faintly on the skyline.

The vessels (keels and sloops) were equipped to navigate the Fossdyke and the Trent.

undated photograph

Undated postcard with a view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 reports "In 1806, a military arsenal was erected by government, at the north-east corner of Brayford, capable of containing 10,000 stand of arms, but it was sold and converted into a brewery, &c., about 35 years ago"

Undated postcard with a view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

"The Brayford Pool is a natural lake formed from a widening of the River Witham in the centre of the city of Lincoln in England.

It was used as a port by the Romans - who connected it to the River Trent by constructing the Foss Dyke - and has a long industrial heritage"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayford_Pool 

Postcard dated 1880.

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 reports four boat builders based around the Brayford :-

Bell Matthew, Brayford side

Bevitt John, Brayford head

Holmes Daniel, Brayford side

Wallis Robert, Brayford side

Postcard dated 1902.

"Today, the waterfront surrounding the pool is home to a range of hotels, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and a modern University (University of Lincoln)"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayford_Pool 

Postcard dated 1907.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states "Brayford is an extensive sheet of water, west of the High street; it is formed by the Witham, and surrounded with warehouses, flour Mills and wharves: the views of the upper part of the city from this point are strikingly beautiful"

Postcard dated 1912 with a view up to Lincoln Cathedral.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 has a section for water conveyance:-

"Warrener W J. & Sons' trading vessels sail between Lincoln & Hull, Goole, Grimsby &c. from Brayford wharf, Lincoln; & from office, 196 High street, Hull, where goods are forwarded to & from London, all parts of Scotland & all the foreign ports; T N Lincoln 65 & Hull 596,

William Rainforth & Sons' trading vessels, between Lincoln & Hull; offices, to Monks road, Lincoln; & 17 High street, Hull

Market packet from Bardney, Southrey, Stixwold & Kirkstead may be found near to the Magpies inn; those for Saxilby & Torksey, at Brayford head"

Undated postcard with a view painted by Peter DeWint

"Peter De Wint (21 January 1784 - 30 January 1849) was an English landscape painter ...

In 1806 he visited Lincoln for the first time, with the painter of historical subjects William Hilton, R.A., whose sister Harriet he married in 1810 ... 

Many of his panoramic landscapes and haymaking scenes are set in Lincolnshire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_De_Wint 

Saint Mark's Church was demolished in 1972 so its spire, visible on the right, helps date this image.

Matt Skipp

A second similar view of the Fossdyke - image probably pre 1972 judging by a companion image of Brayford Pool.

Matt Skipp

This lithographic print dated 1837 just predates the rapid industrialisation of Lincoln in the mid-19th century.

The view across the Witham shows Stamp End Lock in the foreground.

Clayton and Shuttleworth established their foundry and engineering works next to the Witham beyond the lock in the 1840s.

Behind the barge on the right are the smoking kilns (or clamps?) of John Gourley's brickyard.

S T Davies, 1837

Former offices of the Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board at 39, St. Catherines.

"The Upper Witham IDB is an English Internal Drainage Board responsible for land drainage and the management of flood risk for an area to the west of the Lincolnshire city of Lincoln, broadly following the valleys of the upper River Witham, the River Till and the course of the Fossdyke Navigation"

Set up following the Land Drainage Act 1930.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Witham_IDB 

Previously the site of Kesteven Police Station.

DB 11 April 2020