It is one of the more painful journeys in Britain - less than 30 miles as the crow flies yet a good four hours by road. But from next year a regular ferry service could run between north Devon and south Wales. There is support on both sides of the Bristol Channel for a service that could slash the journey time to 35 minutes, avoiding awful journeys along the M5 and M4. The North Devon Chamber of Commerce and Industry has already hosted a summit on plans for ferry services between Ilfracombe and Swansea. The idea is to run at least two passenger services a day.