Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

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Ruperts Trooper
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

JammyDodge wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 23:58
Piatkow wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 12:54
Stevie D wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 17:30
Having been over the original Severn Bridge a few times when it was the route to South Wales, I feel very old at the thought of someone on a roads enthusiast site not knowing that there was 30 years between the first and second bridge opening.
That makes you feel old? I remember my dad deciding to try the ferry rather than go through Gloucester once. I can remember a queue but not being on a boat so I think that he must have given up.
THERE WAS A FERRY!

Jk
I'm old enough to have used the ferries at Ballachulish <1975 and Kylesku <1984 - at least they both have attractive bridges to replace them.
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by Steven »

JammyDodge wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 23:58

THERE WAS A FERRY!

Jk
Yes, as shown on SABRE Maps

Also:Aust Ferry
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From the SABRE Wiki: Aust Ferry :

The Aust Ferry was a vehicle ferry crossing the Severn between Aust and Beachley in Gloucestershire. The final crossing was on 7 September 1966, the day before the Severn Bridge opened, though the ferries themselves were used the next day to assist the BBC filming the opening ceremony. In the same way that the Severn Bridge does not enter Wales, neither did the Aust ferry, drivers wishing to enter Wales had to drive for a further 2 miles to Chepstow on the Welsh border.


[[Image:Aust

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Chris Bertram
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by Chris Bertram »

Steven wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 08:15
JammyDodge wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 23:58 THERE WAS A FERRY!

Jk
Yes, as shown on SABRE Maps

Also:Aust Ferry
Bob Dylan was there, just before it closed (note the Severn Bridge under construction in the background):

Image

Some of the buildings are still there on the Gloucestershire side, understandably looking a little careworn.
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From the SABRE Wiki: Aust Ferry :

The Aust Ferry was a vehicle ferry crossing the Severn between Aust and Beachley in Gloucestershire. The final crossing was on 7 September 1966, the day before the Severn Bridge opened, though the ferries themselves were used the next day to assist the BBC filming the opening ceremony. In the same way that the Severn Bridge does not enter Wales, neither did the Aust ferry, drivers wishing to enter Wales had to drive for a further 2 miles to Chepstow on the Welsh border.


[[Image:Aust

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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

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JammyDodge wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 01:21When I first went over the 2nd crossing, I saw the white bridge in the distance and thought it was the newer one (at the age of 12), mostly because the 2nd crossing has raw concrete pillar for the cable-stay, which I associated more with old at the time.
The white bridge? This is the white bridge. At least, it is if you live where I live. The original Severn Bridge wasn't always white. It was a dark grey colour as shown on the pages linked below:

https://severnbridges.org/category/the- ... ad-bridge/
https://www.ice.org.uk/events/exhibitio ... ern-bridge

The severnbridges page linked also discusses the building and strengthening of the Severn and Wye Bridges. The aerofoil deck was a revolutionary deck design which enables the deck to be a much lighter structure than its sister bridge built a few years earlier across the Forth.

The Wye bridge is a very interesting structure, and would be considered a land mark in its own right if it wasn't overshadowed by its bigger neighbour. It is a cable stayed bridge and in the 1980s strengthening, the original single cable over each of the towers was replaced by two multi-strand cables which provides additional suspension points on the deck and introduces more redundancy into the design. I remember going over it while the work was being done, on one occasion not long after the tension in the original cable had been released so the load was taken by the new cables. There are very few images that I can find of the original cable configuration, but there is a diagram in the top link towards the bottom of the page.

My avatar gives away that I am a big fan of the Wye Bridge (and the original Severn Bridge) and will nearly always choose the M48 crossing in preference to the slightly shorter M4 route.

Simon
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

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Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:46 Some of the buildings are still there on the Gloucestershire side, understandably looking a little careworn.
Pedant point - both sides of the Severn Bridge (and the Aust Ferry before it) are in Gloucestershire. It's the Wye Bridge that goes over the boundary and into Wales / Monmouthshire.
There's actually quite a lot to see on the other side as well, with the old slipway being in good condition.
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

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Steven wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 14:49
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:46 Some of the buildings are still there on the Gloucestershire side, understandably looking a little careworn.
Pedant point - both sides of the Severn Bridge (and the Aust Ferry before it) are in Gloucestershire. It's the Wye Bridge that goes over the boundary and into Wales / Monmouthshire.
There's actually quite a lot to see on the other side as well, with the old slipway being in good condition.
That's a very good point, though I expect a lot of people would think of the Beachley end as being the "Welsh" end of the ferry.
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

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When I was growing up, everyone talked about crossing the Severn Bridge to get to England, with the assumption being that the Severn Bridge was the boundary. It is certainly true that if using the M4, you had to cross the Severn bridge to get anywhere useful in England, there being no way down to the Beachley Peninsula.

I once crossed the Severn Bridge without using either the carriageways or the footway / cycle ways. Nor did I take a vertigo-inducing walk over the tops of the towers. I crossed over it in a Chipmunk aircraft when I was in the Air Cadets as a teenager. Great views :-)

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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by jgharston »

wrinkly wrote: Wed Mar 03, 2021 00:57
jgharston wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 23:16 I caught a train from Sheffield to York a while back, and following the route suddenly thought: hey, where are we? When I got home I discovered the Selby Diversion which was built in 1983!
I assume then that you were also unaware of the A19 Barlby and Riccall bypass, which (except for the curve at its north end) is entirely on the former alignment of the East Coast Main Line.
Yes, I discovered that when I got a map out when I got home.
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by mfmman »

Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 15:00
Steven wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 14:49
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:46 Some of the buildings are still there on the Gloucestershire side, understandably looking a little careworn.
Pedant point - both sides of the Severn Bridge (and the Aust Ferry before it) are in Gloucestershire. It's the Wye Bridge that goes over the boundary and into Wales / Monmouthshire.
There's actually quite a lot to see on the other side as well, with the old slipway being in good condition.
That's a very good point, though I expect a lot of people would think of the Beachley end as being the "Welsh" end of the ferry.
Super pedant point. The eastern end of both Severn Bridges is in South Gloucestershire, which is not the same as south Gloucestershire. :wink:
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by Steven »

mfmman wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 06:54
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 15:00
Steven wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 14:49

Pedant point - both sides of the Severn Bridge (and the Aust Ferry before it) are in Gloucestershire. It's the Wye Bridge that goes over the boundary and into Wales / Monmouthshire.
There's actually quite a lot to see on the other side as well, with the old slipway being in good condition.
That's a very good point, though I expect a lot of people would think of the Beachley end as being the "Welsh" end of the ferry.
Super pedant point. The eastern end of both Severn Bridges is in South Gloucestershire, which is not the same as south Gloucestershire. :wink:
County pedant point:

Nope, they're both in Gloucestershire. They're both administered by South Gloucestershire council though, which isn't the same thing... :wink: :laugh:
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mfmman
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Re: Today I found out the M48, was originally the M4

Post by mfmman »

Steven wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 08:07
mfmman wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 06:54
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 15:00 That's a very good point, though I expect a lot of people would think of the Beachley end as being the "Welsh" end of the ferry.
Super pedant point. The eastern end of both Severn Bridges is in South Gloucestershire, which is not the same as south Gloucestershire. :wink:
County pedant point:

Nope, they're both in Gloucestershire. They're both administered by South Gloucestershire council though, which isn't the same thing... :wink: :laugh:
I'd say that they are both adminstered by Highways England, but also that I am probably out of my depth so will quit whilst I am behind :laugh:

Just out of interest, when I was born my area would have been Gloucestershire, then Avon and now South Glos. I guess you are referring to ancient county names which I expect is correct but living here, to the south east of Bristol city centre it doesn't seem in the slightest bit 'Gloucestershire-like'
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