Aust to Beachley Ferry, Severn Bridge 1965

For centuries, the crossing between Aust in Gloucestershire and Beachley in Monmouthshire was one of the key routes between England and South Wales. The tidal River Severn, with its vast mudflats and fast currents, made bridge-building impossible for most of history, so ferries served travellers, drovers, and later motor vehicles.

The modern vehicle ferry service began in 1926, replacing earlier passenger boats. Operated by the Old Passage Severn Ferry Company, it used double-ended vessels that could carry cars and lorries across in around ten minutes, saving motorists a 60-mile detour via Gloucester. The journey, however, could be unpredictable—sailings were often delayed or cancelled due to tides, fog, or strong winds.

By the 1950s, the ferry was a familiar sight, with cars queueing along the shore at Aust and Beachley. The service reached its peak in the early 1960s, but plans were already underway for a permanent crossing. On 8 September 1966, the Severn Bridge opened, carrying the M4 motorway across the river and rendering the ferry obsolete overnight. The last official sailing took place the day before the bridge’s inauguration.

Today, little remains of the ferry terminals apart from slipways on both banks, now quiet reminders of the days when the Severn’s swift tides dictated the rhythm of travel between England and Wales.