The file consists of correspondence, sent (and received) by the Engineer to the Humber Conservancy Board (Arthur Ernest Butterfield), to/from various companies and businesses as a consequence of inspections carried out on the River Trent. This includes numerous manuscript reports detailing inspections of the Trent carried out by the Board, illustrating issues connected with lighting (e.g. property lights, street lights etc.), issues with wrecks, broken or dilapidated piling, and collapsed wharfs and pontoons. A number of photographs illustrating issues highlighted in the reports can be found in the file.

There is a gap in the file between December 1938 and June 1953.