TRAVELLING across rural Somerset without a car could soon become a little bit easier as work begins on a new section of a vital active travel route.
The Strawberry Line currently runs uninterrupted between Yatton railway station and Station Road in Cheddar, largely following the route of the former Somerset and Dorset railway line.
Numerous other short sections of the route have been opened over the last 12 months, including a stretch in Westbury-sub-Mendip in December 2022 and two sections in Shepton Mallet in March 2023.
Work has now begun on a further short stretch between Wells and Cheddar, which will be open to pedestrians and cyclists by the end of August – with further improvements also expected to follow quickly.
The route takes its name from a section of the Great Western Railway which was famous for transporting strawberries and dairy produce to London markets.
Strawberries were so lucrative to the communities within the Cheddar valley that they were known as “red gold” – but the line was closed in 1965 as part of the infamous Beeching cuts.
Much of the Strawberry Line route follows the original track bed, with the Westbury-sub-Mendip stretch running from Station Road near one of the disused railway bridges (over which the A371 to Cheddar now runs) down as far as Erlon Lane.
Work officially began on Monday (June 12) to extend the route as far as Ebbor Lane in the neighbouring village of Easton – with the prospect of the route heading further towards Wells in the not-too-distant future.
The new section, being constructed by Yeovil-based contractors Mark and Kate Golding, will cross Erlon Lane, rise gently under the existing A371 bridge and then follow the route of the existing public footpath, emerging near Easton Village Hall.
The work, which will cost around £100,000, is being funded by a legacy grant from Mendip District Council, allocated before its abolition as part of its partnership with Greenways & Cycle Routes.
Strawberry Line chairman Mick Fletcher said: “I’m particularly excited about this, because this is the only safe crossing on the A371.
“It will enable pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users to get into Westbury-sub-Mendip without going on that wretched road.
“We would have liked to have started a bit earlier, but bad weather held up some of the other projects our contractors are working on.
“We are really grateful to the landowners who have agreed to grant us access.”
Work to extend the path near Dulcote recycling centre is currently under way, following on from the completion of the route between Wells and Dulcote Quarry in March 2022.
Construction of the new Easton section is expected to take eight weeks (weather permitting), meaning that walkers and cyclists can begin using the route by the end of August.
In the meantime, the Strawberry Line is asking people not to use the existing footpath off Ebbor Lane to ensure public safety and prevent any disruption.
Once this section is completed, focus will shift towards securing the land east of Easton, which will eventually connect the village to the Haybridge area of Wells and link up with the existing elements of the Strawberry Line running in and out of the city.
Mr Fletcher said: “There is a little bit already that we have bought and fenced off, a section next to Easton Village Hall.
“We will continue to work on that section – we have built a bund to provide privacy for the landowner and planted trees.
“There are good negotiations going on with the other landowners between there and Wells – and we’re optimistic about that.”
The route between Westbury-sub-Mendip and Cheddar presents further challenges, with the route needing to take account of the terrain and character of the Mendip Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).
A short extension south of Cheddar, near the Kings of Wessex Academy, was floated ahead of a £19.3m bid to the government’s levelling up fund, which ultimately proved to be unsuccessful.
Somerset Council was recently allocated around £1.5m for active travel projects from the Department for Transport (DfT) – but to date councillors have not provided any information as to where in the county the funding will be spent.
Mr Fletcher added: “We’d love to move further west but we haven’t started serious discussions with the landowner yet.
“Rest assured, creating the Cheddar link is of equal importance.”
For more information on the Strawberry Line, including how to volunteer, visit www.thestrawberryline.org.uk.
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