SEVERN BEACH

This small village on the English shore of the Bristol Channel at the mouth of the River Severn nestles near the foot of the Second Severn Crossing, opened in 1996 (in addition to the original Severn Bridge which was opened 30 years earlier).  A path leads under the bridge, and this forms part of the Severn Way, over 220 miles in length.  The village used to be the end point of the trail, but it was recently extended into Bristol.  Casting an eye around this quiet spot today, it is hard to believe that in the 1920s the village was developed as a seaside resort with a swimming pool called The Blue Lagoon, a boating lake and even a strip club.  All that is now gone and what is left is little more than a commuter village for people working in Bristol.  However, this forgotten corner of the Bristol Channel made the news recently when a huge swordfish washed up on the riverbank.  The fish, 6 feet long and a very rare sight in Britain, is thought to have made its way there from the Mediterranean.  This part of the mouth of the Severn is popular with birdwatchers, and a list of sightings over the years can be found on the Severnside Birds website.

Map of the area.

Severn Beach and the Second Severn Crossing - geograph.org.uk - 187948. Photo by Linda Bailey, via Wikimedia Commons.