PDA

View Full Version : Archived: Aust Ferry, Bristol - April 2010



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