Until 1802, the beck was tidal, but the Beverley and Barmston Drain needed to pass under it, and the lock was constructed to maintain water levels over its tunnel.

[3] During the 17th century, borough records mention several attempts to improve the Beck by scouring, and also the problems of financing these operations.

1. c. 4), which allowed them to cleanse, widen and deepen the Beck, to repair the wharves and any roads leading to it, and introduced additional tolls.

[6] William Palmer, a civil engineer, advised on the work to the beck,[7] which was completed in 1731 at a cost of £1,395,[1] but resulted in little improvement.

A major change occurred in 1802, when the Beverley and Barmston Drain was constructed as part of a large drainage scheme.

Major expenditure in 1898 included the installation of a steam engine and pump to raise water into the Beck from the River Hull.

Commercial traffic continued until quite late, with the tolls amounting to £2,365 in 1970, from the carriage of 28,169 tonnes of cargo, consisting mainly of coal and the raw materials for cattle feed.

[13] Beverley Beck is popular among fishermen holding good sized pike, as well as bream, dace, eel, gudgeon and tench.

Sampling of the sediments before work began revealed high levels of heavy metals and hydrocarbons, as a result of historic industrial processes, and they therefore had to be taken to a hazardous landfill site when they were removed from the Beck.

Land and Water, the contractors responsible for the project, developed a special screening plant that enabled the hazardous waste to be separated from non-hazardous sediments, and this was the first time that such a system had been used on an inland waterways contract.

The final stage, which started in February 2007 and cost £250,000, involved restoration of the lock gates and pumping station, together with the construction of footpaths and cycle routes.