A NEW chapter is opening in the story of the last of the Severn ferries which provided a crucial link between England and Wales before the opening of the first Severn Bridge.

The first of a three-phase programme to restore the Severn Princess is underway at the Mabey Bridge factory in Chepstow.

The Princess was rescued in 1999 by a group of friends from Chepstow from its resting place in Ireland where it had been abandoned.

Over the last 15 years members of the Severn Princess Restoration Trust have seen their efforts to restore the 55-year-old vessel hampered by the elements and the march of time despite support from local businesses and other well-wishers.

It is hoped that the expertise of Mabey Bridge – which is donating materials and staff – will transform the ferry into a major item of interest on the all-Wales Coastal Path.

The physical repair work will be carried out by apprentices on the bridging and steel manufacturer's award-winning apprenticeship programme.

Restoration trust co-ordinator Tim Ryan said: "It's a three-phase arrange­­ment with the first phase to stabilise the vessel and stop further deterioration.

"The historic importance of the ferry service should not be underestimated.

"It was a hugely popular service and in the last year of operation around half a million vehicles used the ferries.

"It's very important that the Severn Princess is restored and preserved as a permanent relic of that crucial period in the history of the region, and as a tribute to Chepstow as both a crossing point between Wales and England and as an industrial base."

Mabey Bridge chief executive Chris Droogan said: "Our company's industrial heritage is rich and we have the skills and capability to support projects that preserve industrial history.

"It will take a significant amount of effort, management and investment to fully restore the ferry to good condition, but we will support the Severn Princess Restoration Group where we can."

Steve Armstrong, Special Projects Engineer at Mabey Bridge added, "The pressing need is to stop the further degradation of the Severn Princess, and that alone is a considerable challenge. Once this phase is complete we will be in a better position to further assess and plan the next stage of the restoration programme."

The Severn Princess Restoration Group has three trustees – Mr Ryan, Cllr Ned Heywood, the Mayor of Chepstow and former Chepstow GP Richard Jones, who is the grandson of Enoch Williams who started the ferry service in 1931.

Cllr Heywood said: "It's good that Mabey Bridge apprentices will learn new skills on this important community project.

"It's been a long and difficult process to get this far and at times it has looked as if she might disappear altogether.

"It is very important to Chepstow that we preserve this last relic of what was a significant service."

You can find out more about the project by visiting the dedicated pages on the Mabey Bridge website – http://www.mabeybridge.com">www.mabeybridge.com – or the Severn Princess Preservation Group's site, http://www.severnprincess.org.uk">www.severnprincess.org.uk. The Princess had two sister ferries, Severn King and Severn Queen and the last crossing was on September 7 1966, the day before the Severn Bridge opened.