Severn Beach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Severn Beach is a village on the mouth of the river Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. A riverside footpath leads beneath the Second Severn Crossing bridge which is part of the Severn Way. The eastern portal of the Severn Tunnel lies on the outskirts of the village. The village is also at the end of the Severn Beach Line railway, with a small unstaffed station. Severn Beach used to have a popular swimming pool which has been demolished in favour of an open space and some housing. Despite being next to the motorway, residents have to travel several miles before they can access either bridge. Since there is no motorway junction at the village, Severn Beach remains free of heavy traffic.
Severn Beach only existed as farm until Great Western Railway decided to link Pilning and Avonmouth in 1900. The railway saw the possibilities of development now that trains passed through th area and in 1922 the village was created as a seaside resort with a swimming pool, a boating lake and the Blue Lagoon club mostly by local entrepreneur Robert Stride. Many people came from nearby Bristol because Severn Beach had less strict licensing laws.
Severn Beach offers excellent conger fishing from the shore in the winter and views of the River Severn and the two bridges that cross it. The coastline is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and has a diverse range of wildlife, varying from Seals to Peregrine Falcons.
Much has changed in Severn Beach in recent years. Many of the shops have closed, the village pub was demolished to make way for housing, and the village, like most villages around Bristol, is moving towards "commuter town" status, with many people using its rail and road links to work elsewhere.
Adge Cutler of The Wurzels wrote a song called "Aloha Severn Beach".
