[CY: Pont Hafren] For centuries the lowest bridging point of the Severn River/Estuary was at Gloucester, which stands more or less where the river ends and the tidal estuary starts. To cross the estuary itself was a matter of ferries and, post the 1870s, by rail bridge or tunnel. Some 31 miles downstream, in 1966, the Severn Bridge was opened, replacing the Aust Ferry. It carried the M4 motorway and linked South West England with South Wales. The motorway latterly became the M48 when the Prince of Wales Bridge (second Severn Crossing) was opened in 1992 to re-route and widen the M4. It was one of the longest and most technically advanced suspension bridges of its age. Its structure is extraordinarily sleek, slender and beautiful. It was granted Grade I listed building status in 1999. Unlike the Prince of Wales bridge, it is possible to walk and cycle over the bridge. From foot, or car, it offers great views of the mid-estuary landscape and the ever-changing state of the tides.
From Littleton, Whale Warf
More images from Littleton, Whale Warf
From Aust Cliff (by Aust Service Station)
More images
Jump to the place marker on the SES map here
The Severn Estuary Survey (SES) 