 The service ended when the Severn Bridge opened in 1966 |
Previously unseen footage of an historic car ferry which was decommissioned in 1966 is to be shown publicly for the first time. The 1950s film of the Aust ferry was donated to an exhibition to be held at the Severn Crossing Visitors' Centre over the August Bank Holiday.
The ferry took cars and passengers from Aust to Beachley near Chepstow.
The service started in 1931 and was regularly caught on camera, mostly by amateur filmmakers.
 The Severn Princess in the 1930s |
The ferry boat, the Severn Princess, fell into disrepair after being withdrawn from service but was rescued from a scrapyard in Ireland in 2000, needing major restoration work. Her final resting place was at Beachley, near Chepstow.
Tim Ryan, a founder member of a group which works on the vessel every Sunday, said the restoration project had captured the imagination of the Chepstow community that used to rely on the river ferries.
"Boats are particularly charismatic things, but the Severn Princess really has evoked some emotion," he told BBC News Online in May 2003.
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