Avonmouth, Bristol

Approximate Distance to City Centre: 8 miles
Postal Code: BS11
Nearby Districts: Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston

Avonmouth is a suburb of the city of Bristol, at the mouth of the River Avon on its north bank and on the Severn Estuary. It is the location of a large port, Avonmouth Docks.The Royal Portbury Dock, under the same management, is on the other side of the Avon. Avonmouth is home to several large chemical manufacturing plants and a gas fired power station. There is also a significant residential area in Avonmouth between the industrialised zone and the M5 motorway.

The M5 motorway runs through Avonmouth, and crosses the Avon via the Avonmouth Bridge. The M49 motorway runs between the M5 near Avonmouth and the M4 motorway at the Second Severn Crossing. The old Severn Bridge and the M48 motorway are linked to Avonmouth by the A403. The Portway, part of the A4, connects Avonmouth to the centre of Bristol. Avonmouth is also is served by a usually hourly train service to Bristol from Avonmouth railway station on the Severn Beach Line. The northern suburbs of Cardiff are visible on the west bank of the Severn Estuary.

A 10 hectare area of Avonmouth Sewage Treatment Works is managed as a nature reserve by Avon Wildlife Trust. The man-made lagoons and a pool provide a feeding and resting area for many birds including ducks such as pochard, tufted duck, teal and shoveler. The rough grassland provides a refuge for voles and other small mammals, which are preyed upon by kestrels and barn owls.

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