Friday 4 November 2016

Old and new


I took the boys down to the banks of the river recently for a gallop along in the fresh air. The tides have been particularly high lately, and this was the corresponding low tide. Miles and miles of uncovered mud and sandbanks.

In the distance you can see the Severn Bridge. It's just celebrated its fiftieth birthday. I watched a programme about it the other day, and it really was amazing to see how it was built. It's a suspension bridge and still considered one of the finest bridges of its type in the world. It has Grade I listed status.

The Queen opened it in September 1966, just a few weeks after England won the world cup. She then went on to Filton in Bristol to look at Concorde which was being built there. Everyone was on a bit of a high. The bridge replaced the Aust ferry and allows people to get from South Gloucestershire to Wales without making a big loop up through Gloucester and back down the other side of the river.

The foundations of the bridge were laid each day in the brief couple of hours when the tide was low enough to work on the river bed. Then the men would have to pack up and wait for the next low tide 10 hours later. I've mentioned the tides here before. The Severn has the second highest rise and fall in the world, as much as 15m (49ft). When the tides are exceptionally high there is a bore, a wave which runs upstream. There has been one recently, and quite often surfers come to ride it. There's only one wave per tide, so if you fall off you have to wait 12 hours for the next one.

The bridge has a footpath, so if you choose to you can walk across. To be honest I'm not a fan of walking over scary things, especially with children in tow, so I've never done it. You're obviously quite close to the traffic as well, so it's not the most peaceful of strolls. Maybe one day.

The bridge is a thing of beauty from the distance. A delicate looking structure, belying its strength. It's the gateway to Wales, a place you know I love, and for the pleasure of crossing it you're required to pay £6.60 (about 8 of your US dollars). Worth every penny I think. Coming home is free.

Further downstream is the newer bridge, often called the Second Severn Crossing. A bit of a brute by comparison.




The new bridge is twenty years old now. It carries more traffic than the old bridge, although we usually cross on the old bridge.

You can see what I mean about the low tide. The river is out there somewhere. The mud flats are fantastic for wading birds, and are important overwintering grounds for many species. There are a lot of fish as well, including migrating eels and salmon. All in all it's a pretty fantastic place, although at a glance it might seem a little godforsaken.

There have been murmurings about harnessing the tidal power of the Severn. I'm not in favour. Despite the need for green energy sources this area is too valuable for wildlife for man to mess around with any more. We've meddled quite enough already, it's time to leave well alone.

22 comments:

  1. It is an amazing structure. I agree about the wildlife. I wonder what the projects would be to harness the power of the Severn? xx

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  2. Fascinating. It is not a part of the country I am familiar with but have seen pictures of the Severn Bore on the TV and it looks an amazing sight. The footpath across the bridge sounds quite something although I would imagine the noise of the traffic and the vibration would be very scary.

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  3. Both amazing bridges. Not sure I would be brave enough to walk over either one of the, but fantastic that you can.

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  4. An interesting, and informative, post and terrific pictures. I don't like heights so there's no way I'd walk over it, I get the collywobbles in a vehicle. When you said gallop I imagined you all on horses! I agree with what you say in the last paragraph. Flighty xx

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  5. Maybe you could walk across one of these days early in the morning, or would the traffic still be bad. I guess it would be magical at sunrise. We always laugh when we are on the welsh side and you can get back to England for free. We always say the Welsh are glad to get rid of us :) B x

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  6. I am it a fan of the barrage idea either. The bridges are beautiful in their own way, if you are on high enough ground in Stroud you can see them too.

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  7. Hey CJ,
    The second Severn Bridge is Olly's last landmark that he counts off between St Ives and Bristol. I much prefer the old bridge too; a thing of beauty in my eyes.
    Leanne xx

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  8. How weird that the toll only applies in one direction. I'd love to see a wave that goes upriver, it must be quite a sight. Have a lovely weekend. x

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  9. I always enjoy seeing the sights where you live, CJ. Both bridges are beautiful. I always enjoyed driving over bridges going into and out of New York City when I was a child. We lived in a suburb and would go into the city to visit relatives. I loved them best at night when they were all lit up.

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  10. I remember the Severn Bridge opening and did indeed walk part way across, but as a child these things are not scary in the same way and besides there was probably far less traffic then! I certainly wouldn't want to do it now. I also remember crossing via the ferry which seemed very exciting. I've only recently realised how potentially dangerous it was!

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  11. I love this bridge and still remember the excitement of crossing to Wales when it was newly built. I crossed the Tamar bridge from a similar era the other day which contrasted beautifully with the fifteenth century horse bridge across the Tamar and the Victorian viaduct at Calstock built to carry the railway. Bridges are wonderful and I second Jennifer's view of the beauty of bridges at night.

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  12. Gorgeous pictures. I'm always amazed by the engineering that's involved in the construction of bridges. We have one here that crosses the Tees, built in 1911 and which carries passengers and up to 9 vehicles across the river in a suspended gondola. It's become a bit of a tourist attraction (we don't have many!) and people, including my boy, regularly bungee off the top.

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  13. Love the second image. Thank you for sharing this interesting post with us.

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  14. The bridges are beautiful, I am with you no walking across it. Too much traffic and danger. Hugs,
    Meredith

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  15. i have this recurring dream about walking across a high, delicate-looking bridge which inevitably has me lying down, clinging to the pathway, and crawling across due to my incapacitating horror. i'm not sure what this means, probably something Serious. so i can absolutely understand why you wouldn't want to use the footpath across. not very restful. at. all.

    i love that the bridge-builders were at the mercy of the tide. it's as it should be.

    xoxo

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  16. I'm with you about walking over scary things, I'm pretty sure my husband crosses the Second Severn bridge several times each month. I shall ask him later x

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  17. Such beautiful 'blue' light near the coast, the bridges stand out clearly in the view - they are striking. I hadn't realised that the Severn bridge was 50!

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  18. I don't know, I think the new bridge has a beauty of it's own - I love the way it fades into the distance. There's something about bridges, isn't there, big and small. I've just googled the Severn Bore - fascinating! I had no idea. x

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  19. Thank you CJ. I crossed it last week and wondered at the construction and marvelled at the changing web like patterns of the steel cables. It is indeed a thing of beauty.

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  20. I am always in awe when we cross the bridge, it is truly amazing.

    Joan (Wales)

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  21. I remember my excitement on crossing the old Severn Bridge for the first time as a child in 1972, the new bridge although amazing in it's construction doesn't feel the same to me! Sarah x

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