Why no ferrys from South(West) Wales to Cornwall?

[Cyril Haearn]

There was not much demand for travel between Breizh and Kernow until some French asparagus farmers ganged up to run ferries to take their produce to the UK

For much of history sea travel was preferable to land travel in many situations

[Mick F]

I still say that people or transport don't need a ferry between Cornwall and SW Wales.
No doubt a summer service could get passengers for a day trip or two - call off at Lundy - but lorries from Cornwall don't go to SW Wales and vice versa. Why would they?

The industrial areas of South Wales are well-served by the M4 and Cornwall is well served by M5/A30.

If you were to say a ferry between Weston-S-Mare and Cardiff, I could see the value ........... but from North Cornwall? ............. where would the ferry terminal be?

[pwa]

I still say that people or transport don't need a ferry between Cornwall and SW Wales.
No doubt a summer service could get passengers for a day trip or two - call off at Lundy - but lorries from Cornwall don't go to SW Wales and vice versa. Why would they?

The industrial areas of South Wales are well-served by the M4 and Cornwall is well served by M5/A30.

If you were to say a ferry between Weston-S-Mare and Cardiff, I could see the value ........... but from North Cornwall? ............. where would the ferry terminal be?

Weston to Cardiff by road takes about an hour. Why would anyone want to queue and pay for a ferry that would probably take even longer?

In the Bristol area (including Avonmouth etc) there are a lot of distribution facilities for supermarkets etc that are designed to serve both the the SW and S Wales without crossing any water.

[Mick F]

What's the toll charge for a big lorry over the Severn?
I see they've been scrapped.
Therefore even less need for a ferry.

[FelimDoyle]

Asparagus?! [emoji1785] They couldn't get rid of it fast enough! [emoji1] If I had a farm full of asparagus, I'd build an Ark to ship it *anywhere* or sink it 《sous la manche》! [emoji23]

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G955F using hovercraft full of eels.

[FelimDoyle]

As I said, I doubt that the cost of the toll was ever a major issue whereas time and other factors continue to be a concern.

The responses here have only cited short-haul journeys. If a lorry or coach driver can split a long-distance journey with a shortcut ferry trip, that saves time and fuel but more importantly fulfils the legal requirements on breaks and duration. If a driver is transiting through Wales from Ireland or travelling from Scotland or the North of England with deliveries and collections en route then there are advantages to being able to circumvent the Bristol area while reducing driving time and adding a rest stop.

I certainly think that it is worth a feasibility study to justify the infrastructure improvements and presumably Severn Link and others had started this process but came to an impasse.

Worth another attempt, I think.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G955F using hovercraft full of eels.

[Carlton green]

There was not much demand for travel between Breizh and Kernow until some French asparagus farmers ganged up to run ferries to take their produce to the UK

For much of history sea travel was preferable to land travel in many situations

I don’t think that Plymouth is in Kernow but it is right next door. Brittany ferries (as started above) also serves other destinations. The key point to come out of your comment is that the service was started to move goods and to move them in a better way than was currently available.

With regard to sea crossings it would be interesting to see what the operators’ typical income streams from freight and passenger travel were. My expectation is that freight is the basis for business and that passengers contribute a small percentage of income. The Scillonian sails from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly, freight is moved all year round but passenger numbers vary enormously by are season. Shipping and passenger travel by sea (instead of road or rail) only makes sense in particular circumstances.

[whoof]

There are no suitable ferry ports on the North Cornwall coast. Newquay, St Ives and Padstow all looking very dry.

By the time you gone around Land's End then it's probably not worth it.

I wouldn't go along with post above regarding Cornwall to South Wales being 'well served' the A30 is often a crawl in place throughout the summer and the M5 past Bristol and especially M5/M4/M32 confluence are some of the most congested roads in the South West.

[Mick F]

The A30 single bit west of Carland Cross does indeed get clogged as far as Three Burrows. It gets clogged every single work-day morning, not just in the summer. The rest of the A30 from Exeter to Hayle is absolutely fine. The tailbacks are caused by farm vehicles during the season ........ as well as the Perranporth/Truro junction B2385. The regulars on the A30, give way to the traffic crossing and joining. Frustrating for those who don't understand, but regulars are content. First time I went through, I was grumpy, but subsequent times, no issue at all. The single carriageway bit isn't too bad if you consider the whole picture. Just relax, you'll be through dreckly!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.29653 ... 312!8i6656

They are going to dual the single bit between Carland and Burrows. so the clogs will go.

[whoof]

This sign is here for a reason. This section from Camborne to Hayle is often a carpark in the summer going West. I regularly ride over it. Locals take the old road through Connor Downs but this is now also getting busier year on year.

[Mick F]

All going to be dual.
Carland to Burrows first.

Remember Goss Moor after dropping down Highgate Hill? Almost a crawl to the start of the Bodmin Bypass at the Lanivet turnoff.
What about the old road though Indian Queens?
What about over Bodmin Moor?

There are regular drivers on the A30 who don't remember those pinch-points. Same as in a few years time when it'll be dual from M5 to Hayle.

[simonhill]

Britain is very poor when it comes to ferries. They almost only exist where there can be no land cross, eg The Channel, Scottish Islands, etc.

In contrast Japan has a plethora of small ferries which are a boon to touring cyclists, but I wonder how they pay. I took one a couple of days ago between 2 headlands, 18 kms apart. To drive the full distance it is 240 kms, but very few would be starting and finishing at the headlands. If the ferry hadn't existed, I wouldn't have ridden the headlands and my trip would have been about 160 kms, so I saved 80. However, it wasn't cheap and cost me over £20.

Given that the aver Brit would rather drive than fit in with a ferry schedule and that it would probably be cheaper too, I can't see many ferries starting up. I don't know how freight costs would add up, but the history of transport in our country is the superceeding of less flexible modes by more flexible ones: ports (shipping), to canals, to railways and now to motor vehicle.

Replace the car and the lorry with the horse and cart and you could be on a winner.

[bikepacker]

Weston to Cardiff by road takes about an hour. Why would anyone want to queue and pay for a ferry that would probably take even longer?

I can remember being taken on a paddle steamer ferry from Weston Super Mare to Cardiff. I was about 10 at the time.

[whoof]

All going to be dual.
Carland to Burrows first.

Remember Goss Moor after dropping down Highgate Hill? Almost a crawl to the start of the Bodmin Bypass at the Lanivet turnoff.
What about the old road though Indian Queens?
What about over Bodmin Moor?

There are regular drivers on the A30 who don't remember those pinch-points. Same as in a few years time when it'll be dual from M5 to Hayle.

You said it is well served not will be.
I can't find anything about dualling the current sections from Camborne to Hayle or Hayle bypass. There is something about £12 million for a roundabout at Hayle but not the road itself. One estimate of the Hayle to Penzance work is 10 years.

https://cornishstuff.com/2019/02/02/the ... -cornwall/

[FelimDoyle]

@simonhill I don't want to bring back the 'orse 'n' cart but I do want to bring back the Beeching Railways and I'm a big fan of the reinstatement of the 'Varsity Line' / East West Rail Link. [emoji581]

If a ferry, bridge or tunnel is a better practical alternative to an existing longer, congested road route, then I'm all for it. There may even be environmental advantages to it. [emoji3534]

It doesn't have to be a paddle steamer! [emoji568]

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G955F using hovercraft full of eels.