Time for a cross-Channel ferry – the Bristol Channel that is...

WHAT better place to visit on a sunny weekend than the north coast of the Westcountry? But if you happen to live in south Wales it is quite a drive to get around the Bristol Channel and down into Devon and Cornwall.

Look at a map of the geography of South West Britain and it seems obvious that a short hop across the water is the obvious solution to connecting the land mass of Wales with that of the Westcountry peninsula.

For those in Devon and Cornwall who fancy a change of scenery, a ferry trip to Wales could be just the ticket. While for those living in Swansea a break in the rural West would be made that much easier if a regular connection by water was on offer.

So it is interesting to report that talks are apparently underway between local authorities in the Westcountry and Wales about proposals for a new ferry link.

The idea is said to be at a very early stage and nothing concrete has been put forward.

But there certainly seems to be enthusiasm from Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council. He has indicated he is keen on the idea, saying: “This would be a massive boost for tourism and business – to think you could cut your travel time to Devon and Cornwall by half, and of course it would have environmental benefits too, taking cars off the road and introducing green-powered ferries.”

He is right, it would be a boost for tourism – both weekend and bank holiday visitors, staycationers and even daytrippers. And ferry transport would reduce traffic on motorways and A-roads and avoid the headache of the roundabout road detour which currently exists.

The idea has been floated before. A fast catamaran service capable of taking 360 passengers was planned by a company called Severn Link, with trips taking 50 minutes between Swansea and Ilfracombe. It was hoped that the year-round service would be launched in 2010, but it didn’t materialise.

Here’s hoping such an idea can be resurrected. And North Devon MP Selaine Saxby has already voiced her support for the concept – raising it in Parliament last November with “visions ranging from a Dylan Thomas literary tour, through to a Barry booze cruise”.

“I can see South Wales from my North Devon constituency and I’m very keen to secure a ferry crossing from Ilfracombe to South Wales, popular on both sides of the Bristol Channel,” she said at the time.

In the past paddle steamers transported tourists across the Bristol Channel, with pleasure cruisers linking South Wales and the South West for decades, and occasional steamer summer sailings across the Bristol Channel have been run.

Let us hope that the idea can be looked at seriously. It would not only provide an economic boost for harbour locations in north Devon and Cornwall, but also enable people from the Westcountry to visit Wales without facing a long and expensive drive.

Ferry services from Plymouth provide an excellent link with the Continent, so a boat connection north across the Bristol Channel makes sense as a welcome addition to travel choices.