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It has to be said that a walk along a sea wall beside a muddy estuary underneath a motorway does not sound immediate appealing, but this walk has much to recommend it.

Severn Beach, once the weekend destination of hundreds of Bristollians, is now little more than a modern dormitory and retirement suburb, with only a couple of beach cafes and a childrens' playground as reminders of its glory days.

Also much reduced in circumstances is the splendid Severn Beach Railway which wends its way round the back of Bristol before plunging through the mile long Clifton Tunnel to emerge in the dramatic Avon Gorge.

It is, however, still much the most exciting way to get to Severn Beach, and can be highly recommended.

The walk is a simple there and back along the seawall to New Passage and back.

New Passage was built by the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway in 1863. Until the building of the Severn Tunnel in 1886 ferries used to run from here to Portskewett on the Welsh side where passengers could resume their train journey. All that remains today is the base of the pier on which are a couple of signs.