Newport 3/55

Steel Screw Car Ferry

Tonnage – (1935) Gross 83.09 ton Net 41 ton B.D

BS1.94 Announcement of ordering. Capacity 16 large. Cars
BS3.3 Ashore at Aust 15.8.38

24th April 1957 Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh stepped aboard and crossed form Beachey to Aust.

In 1959 and as a Aust Ferry the Severn King was reported to be able to transport
‘74 passengers aft - less 1 for every sq ft. by luggage’

In 1966 The Severn King made her last commercial river crossing under the command of Capt Percy Palmer having made 220000 crossings in the 31 years before the River Severn Road Bridge.

1st June 1968 reported by the Evening Post that the Severn King converted to a salvage vessel complete with tracked crane on her now redundant car turntable and used in the final stages of demolishing the Severn & Wye Railway Bridge at Sharpness. This went well until 5th July 1969 at which time she lost her mooring during the night and became entangled on a partially demolished caisson and holed.

Recovered, leaking badly, and ran ashore on the adjacent foreshore a fact which is confirmed as Lloyds lists records her as ‘Sank near old railway bridge, Severn, 23 July 1969.’

On the 15th September 1969, the wreck was purchased by Harkers Shipyard for £75 and following a survey, it was decided that the Severn King was beyond economic repair and she was taken to the nearby mud bank in the lea of the North Pier at Sharpness Dock and cut up for scrap January 1970.

1968 Nordman Construction Co. Ltd. Gloucester for £3250 1969 Harker Shipyard