Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct, First Severn Crossing
WYE BRIDGE AND BEACHLEY VIADUCT, FIRST SEVERN CROSSING, M48 MOTORWAY
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1119761
- Date first listed:
- 29-May-1998
- List Entry Name:
- Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct, First Severn Crossing
- Statutory Address:
- WYE BRIDGE AND BEACHLEY VIADUCT, FIRST SEVERN CROSSING, M48 MOTORWAY
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2000-08-28
- Reference:
- IOE01/02620/08
- Rights:
- © Ms Becky Vacara. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1119761
- Date first listed:
- 29-May-1998
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 26-Nov-1999
- List Entry Name:
- Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct, First Severn Crossing
- Statutory Address 1:
- WYE BRIDGE AND BEACHLEY VIADUCT, FIRST SEVERN CROSSING, M48 MOTORWAY
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WYE BRIDGE AND BEACHLEY VIADUCT, FIRST SEVERN CROSSING, M48 MOTORWAY
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Gloucestershire
- District:
- Forest of Dean (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Tidenham
- National Grid Reference:
- ST5436691186
Details
TIDENHAM
ST 59 SW
1686/12/10003
M48 MOTORWAY, Beachley
Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct, First Severn Crossing
29.05.1998
GV
II
Motorway bridge over Wye estuary, and viaduct over Beachley peninsula. 1966 by Freeman Fox and Partners in association with Mott Hay and Anderson; Sir Percy Thomas consulting architect. Streamlined all-welded steel deck, steel pylons, concrete piers and foundations, steel cables. Overall length of 543 metres.
The Wye Bridge is a 408 metres cable-stayed bridge crossing the River Wye. Two pylons in central reservation, originally one cable each side of each pylon. Strengthened in 1987 (Flint and Neill): pylons increased in height and cable arrangement changed, doubling the number of cables. This has changed the appearance of the cable stayed bridge, but the general character has been maintained.
The Beachley Viaduct, 744 metres long with streamlined all-welded steel deck supported on concrete piers.
Both these bridges form part of a group with the Severn Bridge and has similar but not identical aerodynamically shaped deck of similar historical value. It includes probably the first post-war cable-stayed bridge in England (and Wales). With the Severn Bridge it was the first bridge in the world to have an aerodynamically shaped deck. It is also one of the earliest bridges of its type anywhere to use cables in only a single plane. The western end of the bridge is in Wales.
This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 10 November 2016.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 469290
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Henry, D, Jerome, J A, Modern British Bridges, (1965)
Flint, A R, Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineering in Strengthening and Refurbishment of the Severn Crossing, (1992)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 03-Jul-2026 at 06:31:19.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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