Severn View

Severn View
Moto
2 more photos in the gallery
Road:	M48 at J1 (also accessible to traffic on the A403 and the B4461 and not far from the M4)
Address:	Granada Services M48 Service Area Aust Motorway Services Area Severn Bridge Aust Bristol BS35 4BH
Telephone number:	01454 632851
Signposted from the road?	As Costa/Burger King
Opened:	1966
Previous operators:	Top Rank, Pavilion, Granada
Previous names:	Aust
Grid reference:	ST571896
Services type:	Single site located at a junction.
Visit Severn View/Moto's official website

Severn View can be found alongside the impressive Severn Bridge, however both are rather forgotten these days as they've been bypassed by the Second Severn Crossing. Although the services themselves no longer offer a view of the river, they are connected to a bridge over the Severn Tolls and a pathway which runs alongside the motorway and over the Severn.

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Facilities

General: Picnic Tables, Wi-Fi
Restaurants: Burger King, Costa Coffee
Shops: WH Smith
Fuel: BP with pumps for Unleaded, Ultimate Unleaded, Diesel, Ultimate Diesel and AdBlue
Motel: Travelodge^{[book rooms]}

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8 and HGVs £13, or £15 to include a food voucher.

Prices can be paid through the phone, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by CP Plus.

Trivia

The services have changed a lot since they opened under the name 'Aust'. Back then they could be found off M4 J21, and in 1978 a government report said it was one of the largest service stations. As with all Top Rank services, the building was a large box-shape which was noticeable as you approached it on the motorway. As well as offering a large grass area, the building backed on to the River Severn (hence its modern name Severn View). Everybody loved it.

Magor services were built prior to the Second Severn Crossing, which meant there was no need for any new services when the new bridge opened.

Closure and Change of Building

When Granada took over Pavilion in 1995, they were allowed to do so on the basis that Aust would be sold or closed when the new Severn Bridge opened the next year. However, when the bridge opened Granada didn't sell the services, and even issued leaflets telling motorists it's the "same services, different road".

This didn't attract much custom, but it must have been enough to stop Granada from closing or selling the services. Instead, they repeatedly applied for permission to move or redevelop parts of the services, which included plans to replace the building with housing, storage facilities, car dealers and a motorway maintenance compound. In around 1999 they moved the main services to the old Trucker's Café and then set about selling the surplus buildings, eventually convincing the Highways Agency that they weren't necessary. The car park was then moved to the former HGV parking area, HGVs moved to a former parking area and the overflow car park closed.

In 2000/2001 Motion Media bought the former services and car park and moved in. Remnants from the services can still be found if you know where to look.

Although Severn View no longer offers a view of the Severn, it is connected to a footpath which runs along the estuary and over the bridge.

Survey Results

In 2006 the services won a four star loo award.

Also in 2006, Holiday Which? rated the services as a 2/5.

Alternatives

Comments and Reviews

Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
Author: Message: MatthewB6323(M) I called in at Severn View for the first time last night at about 7pm, having diverted along a near-deserted M48 to do so on my way back from Cardiff. The former service area, now the offices of eCar insurance and associated companies (Motion Media seem to be long gone) was clearly visible from the Severn Bridge heading eastbound. The Severn Bridge was limited to one lane of traffic in each direction and is undergoing sorely needed maintenance. The small remaining services building itself has a quaint appeal. It's not like anything else I've seen on the motorway network. The WH Smith is little more than a magazine rack recessed far enough to allow room for a till. The Burger King unit was understocked and understaffed, though Costa was looking healthier. About half the customers were crew from the bridge works, watching the England v Algeria match. The others included a few waterproofed cyclists, as the Severn Bridge cycle route runs close to the services. Worth noting was the information panel giving a guide to the geology of the Severn at Aust. Posted: 19 Jun 2010, 12:25 Nshimbi As a child a stop at the old Aust Services was part of the whole experience of going on holiday to Wales to see my grandparents. Through my child-like eyes the services had a real magic, from the enormous futuristic lights over the car parking area, which was surrounded by what appeared to be the largest bus shelter in the world. The fact that the car park and the services were separate. And then that walk up the grand staircase to the restaurant with it's fantastic view and the tiers so more tables could appreciate it. Then on warm days being able to go out onto the viewing patio to see the bridge. It always amazed me viewing the bridge from there the curve that the deck had compared to how level it appeared when you drove over it. Sadly Severn View is just like most other service stations these days: Dull, utilitarian and set in a sterile environment. Posted: 26 May 2010, 10:13 Tiernan I hear the Aust Services have changed and I was hoping to use them in July this year. I have fond memories of the old eateries. Posted: 19 May 2010, 23:57 Russ I too was incredibly disappointed when I returned to Aust Services for the first time in a number of years. To find that the cavernous restaurant with the panoramic view of the Bridge had been re-sited to what is little more than a garden shed was a huge let down. I'm not that sad a person that I contrast & compare motorway services, but the restaurant at Aust did have, dare I say it, the wow factor. To sit with a coffee and watch the truly amazing sunsets was a pleasure. I have to agree with Alan and suggest that some alternative should have been sought in order to retain the view. Posted: 31 Mar 2010, 12:54 Brian Green What a sad service area Severn View has become. Why has the name been kept, beacause it has no view of the river at all. Its original name Aust Services is much more appropriate. I travelled this way many years ago and crossed the river with my motor cycle on the Aust Ferry. I enjoyed taking my wife, now by car when the bridge was built and enjoyed the view across the river. We were even there when the bridge celebrated its 21st birthday. Someone had made a cake with a model of the bridge on it and was there for all the customers to see. I will always use this bridge on my trips to Wales as I think its the better of the two bridges. Posted: 22 Sep 2009, 17:03 PeterK I was looking forward to going there as I remember a great lively restaurant and a fabulous view. This no longer applies. I think it would win a prize for the smallest and dullest motorway services. The new landscaping tries its hardest to stop you from walking to the viewpoint but with determination and persistance you'll find that the great view is still there. So grab a BQ Whopper and your camera and pick your way across the grass slopes and munch while watching the River Severn and the traffic going across. Posted: 01 Sep 2009, 15:04 Johnny That's right, there is no 'proper' restaurant here. It used to have a Little Chef, and that was replaced by Costa. Posted: 28 Aug 2009, 21:11 Ken I see from the description that there appears to be only a Costa Coffee place and Berger King outlet. Does this mean you can only get coffee and bergers making it an unsuitable stop for coach parties? Posted: 28 Aug 2009, 19:41 Alan What a waste. When this stretch of the M4 became the M48 and traffic levels dropped, Granada should have retained the main services building and moved head office from the Shambolic looking Toddington building with no outlook to the Severn View building and maintained basic MSA facilities instead of relocating the services building to the old truckers cafe. That way the view would have been maintained for staff and passengers alike and any new format ideas for Granada/ Moto could have been trialed at the nearby busy leigh Delamere instead. No wonder Moto complain it is quiet. I'm sure if it still had a view things would be different! Posted: 11 Aug 2009, 23:13 Admin Post your comments and reviews for Severn View here, or you can return to Severn View. Posted: 08 Jan 2006, 12:23
Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.

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