The abandoned ferry that drivers in Wales relied on before the M4 motorway was even a thing

The ferry eventually took 17 vehicles at a time

17:47, 10 Aug 2025

A black and white photo of cars waiting for a ferry

Before the Severn Bridge was there, you could always use the Aust Ferry to travel to and from South Wales. This photo from June 1966 shows the homely "ferry terminal" with cars waiting just under the almost-completed bridge(Image: Western Mail and Echo Copyright)

Since 1966, the Severn Bridge has connected England and Wales. Costing GBP8m it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in September of that year, cutting down journey times between the neighbouring countries.[1]

Part of the M48, the original Severn Bridge crossing was joined by the second Severn Crossing, the Prince of Wales bridge, in 1996. The creation of the Seven Bridge is fascinating to see.[2]

But long before either bridge was a long-running ferry which ran between Aust, in Bristol, and Beachley, a village in Gloucestershire near the border with Monmouthshire [3].

The Aust Ferry [4] ran for 40 years, but had roots as a steam ferry in the 1800s and as a crossing point in Roman times.

Initially designed to carry pedestrians and cyclists across the channel, it would eventually be able to transport 17 vehicles at a time.

A cobbled road with grass growing and a bridge and pylon in the rear

How the area looks now(Image: Bristol Live)

Cars would join at Aust, driving onto the road leading to the ferry service before buying a ticket, which was located on the right-hand side when facing the ferry. Pedestrians would make their way through turnstiles in order to enter the slip road. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter.[5]

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Both cars and pedestrians would be able to join the boat, usually parked on the right-hand side, however drivers had to perform a sharp turn off the slip road and onto the boat ramp, but once on the ferry, a turntable would turn the vehicles so they could park.

A black and white photo of cars in 1960 waiting for a ferry

The queue for the Aust ferry in 1960(Image: Mirrorpix)

The ferry ceased operation on September 8, 1966, a day before the Severn Bridge was opened to the public. Since then the area has been left abandoned, and the original turnstiles and ticket office have since been removed.

The original road remains in place up to the slip road, which also has the original wood panels and an original wood post which formed part of the gate.

The slip road can be seen when looking over the former ferry crossing, but wildlife has taken over the wooden path to the slip road.

A landscape shot of a long bridge with grass and a disused slipway in front

The original slipway is still visible(Image: Bristol Live)

The River Severn was notable for a dangerous passage, resulting in a ferry service that was prone to difficulty. At a low or very high tide, the ferry was unable to run and there was a report of an engine failure which took hours to repair, whilst the tide was taking the boat out to sea.

The River Severn is also known for being the river with the second biggest tidal range in the world and has made the Aust area prone to flooding. Flood defences have since been installed which has seen a huge wall on the edge of the coastal road where the ferry would have been.

A picture from 2011 showing the slipway(Image: Bristol Live/Graham Chilman)

Two flood defence gates have also been installed.

The tidal gates, installed by the Environment Agency, say: "Please note that this gate will be closed two hours before and one hour after high tides in excess of 7.7 metres AOD (including surge), measured at Avonmouth [6]."

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The former ferry crossing now sits between the M48 and M4 over the River Severn and largely remains forgotten.

But the remnants of what was the ferry service that connected the two sides of the River Severn can still be found and explored today.

References

^ countries. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^ the Seven Bridge is fascinating to see. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^ Monmouthshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^ Aust Ferry (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
^ For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^ Avonmouth (www.bristolpost.co.uk)