New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

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New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Richardf »

Been watching an old Inspector Morse episode, "Last Seen Wearing". It featured what looked like a dual carriageway under construction. Given that the show was mostly filmed in and around Oxford, anyone know what DC's might have been under construction at the time (late 1980s, probably 1987for time of filming)? But of a longshot I know but I'm curious.

Thanks.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by SouthWest Philip »

Richardf wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:21 Been watching an old Inspector Morse episode, "Last Seen Wearing". It featured what looked like a dual carriageway under construction. Given that the show was mostly filmed in and around Oxford, anyone know what DC's might have been under construction at the time (late 1980s, probably 1987for time of filming)? But of a longshot I know but I'm curious.

Thanks.
A34 from Peartree to the M40 would be the right vintage.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Richardf »

SouthWest Philip wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:24
Richardf wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:21 Been watching an old Inspector Morse episode, "Last Seen Wearing". It featured what looked like a dual carriageway under construction. Given that the show was mostly filmed in and around Oxford, anyone know what DC's might have been under construction at the time (late 1980s, probably 1987for time of filming)? But of a longshot I know but I'm curious.

Thanks.
A34 from Peartree to the M40 would be the right vintage.
Thats what I thought. Athough I compared the old TV footage with Google Earth and while there are similarities it doesn't quite fit, allowing for maturity. Its the closest fit for the area though.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Gav »

Looking at this and trying to get a fix on the roads in the area, the episode has a time line of around 1988.

doing a little digging around this time say 1987 1988 and that ties in with the M40 - I would recon that the size of the road isnt D3M width which discounts the M40 but they did do alot of work about the A34.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

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They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

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trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 21:22 They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
Morse's house was apparently in Ealing!

But TV geography applies, they would move swiftly between areas of Oxford several miles apart, and they made up college names to protect the innocent; there is no college named Wolsey, Beaumont or Lonsdale, though real locations such as the Sheldonian Theatre, the Randolph Hotel and the Ashmolean museum do appear.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by trickstat »

Chris Bertram wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:12
trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 21:22 They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
Morse's house was apparently in Ealing!
IIRC the tower block in Only Fools and Horses where the Trotters lived was in Bristol rather than Peckham (or anywhere else in London).
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by roadtester »

Chris Bertram wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:12
trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 21:22 They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
Morse's house was apparently in Ealing!

But TV geography applies, they would move swiftly between areas of Oxford several miles apart, and they made up college names to protect the innocent; there is no college named Wolsey, Beaumont or Lonsdale, though real locations such as the Sheldonian Theatre, the Randolph Hotel and the Ashmolean museum do appear.
Yeah - for anyone who knows Oxford fairly well the continuity location-wise is pretty shaky.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Richardf »

OK so all this considered, where COULD it have been, assuming they wouldn't have gone too far from other filming locations for a relatively short scene? In other words what D2s were being built in that part of the country at that time that might fit?
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Bryn666 »

Gav wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:50 Looking at this and trying to get a fix on the roads in the area, the episode has a time line of around 1988.

doing a little digging around this time say 1987 1988 and that ties in with the M40 - I would recon that the size of the road isnt D3M width which discounts the M40 but they did do alot of work about the A34.
Perspective from the camera is a funny thing. I'd say it is most likely the M40.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Scratchwood »

trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:21
Chris Bertram wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:12
trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 21:22 They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
Morse's house was apparently in Ealing!
IIRC the tower block in Only Fools and Horses where the Trotters lived was in Bristol rather than Peckham (or anywhere else in London).
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by jackal »

Bryn666 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 23:50
Gav wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:50 Looking at this and trying to get a fix on the roads in the area, the episode has a time line of around 1988.

doing a little digging around this time say 1987 1988 and that ties in with the M40 - I would recon that the size of the road isnt D3M width which discounts the M40 but they did do alot of work about the A34.
Perspective from the camera is a funny thing. I'd say it is most likely the M40.
That was my first thought. You can see there would be space for another truck of the same (presumably huge) width next to that one and then some. The two people in the foreground are standing around the middle of the carriageway and there seems to be close to two car widths either side of them (the car has its door open and they are probably 2-3 metres from it). Could easily be D3M.
Last edited by jackal on Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:45, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by nick_dunn »

Richardf wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:21 Been watching an old Inspector Morse episode, "Last Seen Wearing". It featured what looked like a dual carriageway under construction. Given that the show was mostly filmed in and around Oxford, anyone know what DC's might have been under construction at the time (late 1980s, probably 1987for time of filming)? But of a longshot I know but I'm curious.

Thanks.
I've also taken to watching Morse just recently and happened to watch that episode yesterday - and after looking at the dates had concluded it was most likely the M40. The view from the top of the cutting looks like it might not be wide enough but a different view from the ground level changed my mind. Camera angles and zoom can be deceptive. That said, I couldn't find a likely place on a map.
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A few minutes later Morse is seen leaving Oxford to head to London along a stretch of motorway. An hour of hunting last night led me to discover it is the A308(M) Bray Wick roundabout at Maidenhead....
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by SouthWest Philip »

It's the right vintage for some of the dualling on the A303, somewhere like west of Thruxton or bypassing Zeals and Bourton. Problem is you'd never be able to pinpoint it as, in the case of the A303 and presumably elsewhere, any such cutting now has 30 years worth of woodland growing on it.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Piatkow »

roadtester wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:27
Chris Bertram wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 22:12
trickstat wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 21:22 They did sometimes use what might be called geographical artistic licence in Morse as one episode was partly filmed in Stevenage Old Town (approx 45 miles from Oxford as the crow flies).
Morse's house was apparently in Ealing!

But TV geography applies, they would move swiftly between areas of Oxford several miles apart, and they made up college names to protect the innocent; there is no college named Wolsey, Beaumont or Lonsdale, though real locations such as the Sheldonian Theatre, the Randolph Hotel and the Ashmolean museum do appear.
Yeah - for anyone who knows Oxford fairly well the continuity location-wise is pretty shaky.
Always hanging around in Broad Street for no obvious reason and then heading off down Holywell Street when he is supposedly going to Jericho or Summertown. If I remember the books correctly he was actually based at the unphotogenic HQ complex out in Kidlington.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Gav »

Looking at it again

its quite far from being given the concrete base, so going back I do think it is too small for a D3M, that would be four lanes each side, and looking at the car and the dumper it def isnt anywhere near the size. looking at the central reservation too, that would eat up some of the land between the carriageways...
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Richardf »

Gav wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 22:37 Looking at it again

its quite far from being given the concrete base, so going back I do think it is too small for a D3M, that would be four lanes each side, and looking at the car and the dumper it def isnt anywhere near the size. looking at the central reservation too, that would eat up some of the land between the carriageways...
That was kind of my thinking too. If that's the case then the A34 would still be a candidate. Just north of Peartree maybe?
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

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Richardf wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 23:07
Gav wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 22:37 Looking at it again

its quite far from being given the concrete base, so going back I do think it is too small for a D3M, that would be four lanes each side, and looking at the car and the dumper it def isnt anywhere near the size. looking at the central reservation too, that would eat up some of the land between the carriageways...
That was kind of my thinking too. If that's the case then the A34 would still be a candidate. Just north of Peartree maybe?
North of Peartree is flat with no hills so is unlikely to be there. However, south of Abingdon has the right terrain but this section may have already been open by then.
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by A303Chris »

nick_dunn wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:41
Richardf wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 20:21

A few minutes later Morse is seen leaving Oxford to head to London along a stretch of motorway. An hour of hunting last night led me to discover it is the A308(M) Bray Wick roundabout at Maidenhead....
Image

....complete with ITV's shiny new RCS! ....
Image
Morse was also filmed at Bray Studios , hence why this was used. Interesting that London is only 27 miles on the RCS after J8/9, the A308(M) has increased in length.

There is another episode from the 90's after the M40 J8 to J15 opened on 17th January 1991 (same day operation Desert Storm started), where Morse is going to London but enters the northbound M40 at J8a
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Re: New Dual Carriageway in Inspector Morse Episode

Post by Jonathan B4027 »

87 88 seems a little bit too early for the M40, that opened in 1991 from Waterstock to Warwick? the top part to the M42 was earlier at 1990 so it may be up there but I cannot place it either.
IMDB.com has it released in March 88 so filming probably 87 as said. The dates fit for the M42 south of Birmingham? The ground looks chalky though so it is probably further south?
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