Tumbles
04-04-2010, 08:18 PM
Continuing my recent trend of exploring the history of the coastlines that surround my local area I took a quick trip to the site of the old Aust Ferry.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9068.jpg
A somewhat forgotten old road now but until the completion of the first severn bridge in 1966 this was one of the only ways to get a car across to Wales without a 50 mile detour.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9045.jpg
Very little remains of what was a busy jetty, at its peak the Old Passage Severn Ferry Company Ltd had 4 boats in operation. Each ferry was able to carry just 17 cars. Each car had to turn sharply off the ramp onto the ferry, then be turned on a manually operated turntable before being parked. The process was reversed for unloading.
The shot above is made famous by a certain Bob Dylan.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/dylan.jpg
The Martin Scorsese film No Direction Home about the life of Bob Dylan has a promotional shot of Dylan standing in front of the Aust ferry terminal in May 1966.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9015.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9022.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9031.jpg
The ferry timetable was notoriously affected by the huge tidal range on the Severn. It was unable to operate at low tide and at very high tides
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9032.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9040.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9050.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9051.jpg
The last ferry crossing occurred on 8 September 1966, the day before the first Severn Bridge opened.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9058.jpg
A quick stroll down to the huge pylon that runs alongside the bridge, before turning back and heading home. A quick stop at the CWS Flour Mills, a source of daily torment as one makes their way to work each day. Located in dockland, flanked by a live railway on one side and the other side by the security gateway makes this mill almost impossible.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9069.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9072.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9073.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9077.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9068.jpg
A somewhat forgotten old road now but until the completion of the first severn bridge in 1966 this was one of the only ways to get a car across to Wales without a 50 mile detour.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9045.jpg
Very little remains of what was a busy jetty, at its peak the Old Passage Severn Ferry Company Ltd had 4 boats in operation. Each ferry was able to carry just 17 cars. Each car had to turn sharply off the ramp onto the ferry, then be turned on a manually operated turntable before being parked. The process was reversed for unloading.
The shot above is made famous by a certain Bob Dylan.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/dylan.jpg
The Martin Scorsese film No Direction Home about the life of Bob Dylan has a promotional shot of Dylan standing in front of the Aust ferry terminal in May 1966.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9015.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9022.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9031.jpg
The ferry timetable was notoriously affected by the huge tidal range on the Severn. It was unable to operate at low tide and at very high tides
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9032.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9040.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9050.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9051.jpg
The last ferry crossing occurred on 8 September 1966, the day before the first Severn Bridge opened.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9058.jpg
A quick stroll down to the huge pylon that runs alongside the bridge, before turning back and heading home. A quick stop at the CWS Flour Mills, a source of daily torment as one makes their way to work each day. Located in dockland, flanked by a live railway on one side and the other side by the security gateway makes this mill almost impossible.
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9069.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9072.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9073.jpg
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/aust/IMG_9077.jpg