An amateur film produced by Donald Oates, a Civil Engineer for Northumberland County Council, recording the annual inspection visits by members of the Highway’s Committees to road improvement sites and depots around Northumberland. Starting at depot at Morpeth the tour takes in new road improvements along the A1068 between Widdington and Red Row and the B1340 north of Seahouses. The film also features the official opening of a new road bridge near to the village of Warkworth as well as a new...

An amateur film produced by Donald Oates, a Civil Engineer for Northumberland County Council, recording the annual inspection visits by members of the Highway’s Committees to road improvement sites and depots around Northumberland. Starting at depot at Morpeth the tour takes in new road improvements along the A1068 between Widdington and Red Row and the B1340 north of Seahouses. The film also features the official opening of a new road bridge near to the village of Warkworth as well as a new depot at Alnwick. The film ends at Cramlington New Town and a road construction for the town industrial estate. Title: County of Northumberland Highways Department The coat of arms for Northumberland. Title: County of Northumberland. Highways Committee Annual Tour of Inspection 8th July 1965 A map of Northumberland with the route of the inspection trip marked in red, the camera focuses in on Morpeth. Title: Divisional Surveyor’s Dept Morpeth A large sign outside the offices of the County of Northumberland Divisional Highway Depot. Beside a petrol pump two men stand chatting; two more men walk over to join them. Nearby a coach off which come a group of men. Inside the depot the men look around while outside three men stand chatting. They are joined by other members of the group. The map of Northumberland again now focusing on Alnwick. Title: Widdrington to Red Row Improvements A car travelling along the A1068 coming around a bend is followed by a bridge under construction. Cars drive past a road construction site with a number of heavy vehicles parked along the roadside. A man walks across a roundabout, traffic travels around it. A number of sections along the A1068, cattle grazing in a nearby field. A van approaches a junction turning left. A drawing of Warkworth Castle changes to show the group standing on another road bridge which is under construction. The bus is parked beside several construction workers, a man in a flat cap gets off and shakes hands with another man waiting for him. The group get off the bus and look around the site. A red United bus and a Wall’s Ice Cream lorry drives across the bridge, nearby the group applaud as a ribbon is cut by the man in the flat cap. The bus crosses the bridge continuing on its journey. The map of Northumberland focusing on the village of Belford is followed by the Alnwick town wall and the White Swan Hotel on Bondgate. The bus parked along Bondgate and those on board getting off. Title: Divisional Surveyor’s Depot Alnwick Two modern single storey office blocks at the depot, the bus turning in and those on board getting off. The group separate into pairs or small groups walking about the site which appears to be still under construction. They return to the bus which leaves. At Seahouses the war memorial on Main Street changes to show the Farne Islands in the distance. Title: Monk’s House Improvements North of Seahouses the B1340 and a house built beside it. Traffic moves past along the busy road. Title: Cramlington New Town A motor grader on caterpillar tracks travels up and down a muddy track preparing it to be turned into a road. In the distance a row of houses. At another location concrete supports for a new bridge under construction. A gravel foundation is laid on another section of road followed by several sections of newly asphalted road. A newly completed concrete bridge changes to look out across green fields. The film ends on a large road sign for Cramlington New Town Industrial Site.