New Passage
Encyclopedia
New Passage is a small hamlet in South Gloucestershire
, England
located on the banks of the Severn estuary
near the village of Pilning
. It derives its name from the ferry service which operated between there and South Wales before the late 19th century, when it lost out in competition with the Aust Ferry
slightly upstream.
, Prince Rupert was chased across the river, and the pursuing Roundheads drowned on the English Stones
rocks after being assured by the ferryman of the safety of the crossing.
By the end of the 17th century, ferry crossings from here to Black Rock near Portskewett
in Monmouthshire
rivalled the Aust ferry
two miles (3 km) upstream, known as the "Old Passage", where crossings had been made for centuries. In 1715 the New Passage ferry service was taken over and developed by the Lewis family of St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
, allowing it to be used by mail and passenger coaches between Bristol and south Wales. Records show Charles Wesley
had a lucky escape in 1743, when his ship almost foundered in stormy weather.
In 1825 the New Passage Association formed, using the 30-ton steamboat "St Pierre". However, the sponsorship by the Dukes of Beaufort of the Aust route, with faster boats and a pier, meant that by 1830 mail coaches were diverted there, and the New Passage declined.
In 1863 the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
was opened, using the New Passage ferry to cross the Severn to Portskewett. The New Passage Hotel, a promenade, tea rooms, and a 594 yards (543.2 m) railway pier, set the area up for prosperity. One year earlier, an engineer engaged on building the pier had the idea of a tunnel under the river. In 1886, the Severn Tunnel
opened and the New Passage ferry became redundant. The railway tunnel passes under the River Severn
from a point just south of New Passage.
In December 1872 Mr Richmond Grist died in an accident at the station, when returning on the ferry from Wales he tried to get into a carriage whilst the train was in motion, and was accidentally killed.
In 1996 the Second Severn Crossing
road bridge was completed, virtually along the same line as the Severn Tunnel. The bridge, the longest in the UK, carries M4 motorway
traffic.
The hotel was closed in 1973. It was then sold by the Bracey family, and the building was left empty, until ravaged by the elements and neglect, it was finally demolished in the late 1970s. A small luxurious housing development was created on the resulting land.
had been recorded in the Severn Beach
/ New Passage area, including Sooty
and Balearic shearwater
s, all four Northern Hemisphere
skua
s, seven species of tern
and four species of alcid.
in Best Days with British Birds as follows:
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
located on the banks of the Severn estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
near the village of Pilning
Pilning
Pilning is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, close to Redwick and Severn Beach. Pilning is close to the busy M4, M49 and A403 as well as a railway line running through it, with a minor station...
. It derives its name from the ferry service which operated between there and South Wales before the late 19th century, when it lost out in competition with the Aust Ferry
Aust Ferry
Aust Ferry or Beachley Ferry was a ferry service that operated across the River Severn between Aust and Beachley both in Gloucestershire, England. Before the Severn Bridge opened in 1966, it provided a daily service for road traffic crossing between the West Country and South Wales...
slightly upstream.
Ferry
Because the estuary is narrow at this point, New Passage has long been the location for a ferry crossing to and from South Wales. During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Prince Rupert was chased across the river, and the pursuing Roundheads drowned on the English Stones
English Stones
English Stones is a rocky outcrop in the Severn Estuary between Caldicot, Monmouthshire and Severn Beach. It is exposed at low tide, and because of this and the fact it is a rare spot of solid land in the highly tidal estuary, it has long been considered at a location to build barrages, dams or...
rocks after being assured by the ferryman of the safety of the crossing.
By the end of the 17th century, ferry crossings from here to Black Rock near Portskewett
Portskewett
Portskewett is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located four miles south west of Chepstow and one mile east of Caldicot, in an archaeologically sensitive part of the Caldicot Levels on the Welsh shore of the Severn Estuary...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
rivalled the Aust ferry
Aust Ferry
Aust Ferry or Beachley Ferry was a ferry service that operated across the River Severn between Aust and Beachley both in Gloucestershire, England. Before the Severn Bridge opened in 1966, it provided a daily service for road traffic crossing between the West Country and South Wales...
two miles (3 km) upstream, known as the "Old Passage", where crossings had been made for centuries. In 1715 the New Passage ferry service was taken over and developed by the Lewis family of St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and deer park...
, allowing it to be used by mail and passenger coaches between Bristol and south Wales. Records show Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
had a lucky escape in 1743, when his ship almost foundered in stormy weather.
In 1825 the New Passage Association formed, using the 30-ton steamboat "St Pierre". However, the sponsorship by the Dukes of Beaufort of the Aust route, with faster boats and a pier, meant that by 1830 mail coaches were diverted there, and the New Passage declined.
In 1863 the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was built to connect Bristol, England, with south Wales. The route involved a ferry crossing of the River Severn but was considerably shorter than the alternative route through Gloucester...
was opened, using the New Passage ferry to cross the Severn to Portskewett. The New Passage Hotel, a promenade, tea rooms, and a 594 yards (543.2 m) railway pier, set the area up for prosperity. One year earlier, an engineer engaged on building the pier had the idea of a tunnel under the river. In 1886, the Severn Tunnel
Severn Tunnel
The Severn Tunnel is a railway tunnel in the United Kingdom, linking South Gloucestershire in the west of England to Monmouthshire in south Wales under the estuary of the River Severn....
opened and the New Passage ferry became redundant. The railway tunnel passes under the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
from a point just south of New Passage.
In December 1872 Mr Richmond Grist died in an accident at the station, when returning on the ferry from Wales he tried to get into a carriage whilst the train was in motion, and was accidentally killed.
In 1996 the Second Severn Crossing
Second Severn Crossing
The Second Severn Crossing is a bridge which carries the M4 motorway over the River Severn between England and Wales, inaugurated on 5 June 1996 by HRH The Prince of Wales to augment the traffic capacity of the original Severn Bridge built in 1966...
road bridge was completed, virtually along the same line as the Severn Tunnel. The bridge, the longest in the UK, carries M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
traffic.
New Passage Hotel
The hotel was opened in 1863 to serve railway passengers. When the ferry closed it continued to prosper as a privately owned public house. In 1921 the hotel was the location of experiments by the inventor H.G. Matthews in the projection of moving films with a sound track.The hotel was closed in 1973. It was then sold by the Bracey family, and the building was left empty, until ravaged by the elements and neglect, it was finally demolished in the late 1970s. A small luxurious housing development was created on the resulting land.
Ecology
As of 1990, 28 species of seabirdSeabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
had been recorded in the Severn Beach
Severn Beach
Severn Beach is a village on the mouth of the river Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. A riverside footpath, which is part of the Severn Way, leads beneath the Second Severn Crossing bridge...
/ New Passage area, including Sooty
Sooty Shearwater
The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name tītī and as "muttonbird", like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is...
and Balearic shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
The Balearic Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It was long regarded a subspecies of the Manx Shearwater; see there for more on the Puffinus puffinus superspecies; following an initial split it was held to be a subspecies of the "Mediterranean Shearwater"...
s, all four Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
skua
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
s, seven species of tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
and four species of alcid.
The environs of New Passage
New Passage is described unfavourably by Keith VinicombeKeith Vinicombe
Keith E. Vinicombe is a British ornithologist and writer on bird identification.Vinicombe is best-known for his first book, the Macmillan Field Guide to Bird Identification...
in Best Days with British Birds as follows: