The Strawberry Line active travel route currently runs uninterrupted from Yatton railway station to Labourham Way in Cheddar, and will eventually reach all the way to Collett Park in Shepton Mallet.
The Strawberry Line Society has been working with Somerset Council and local landowners to deliver the remaining sections of the path – with the council announcing in early-April that £730,000 would be provided towards this and other rural routes over the next two years.
Now numerous smaller-scale improvements to the route have been successfully implemented following a £30,000 from Mendip Hills National Landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).
A significant section of the Strawberry Line moves through the Mendip Hills, closely following the route of the former Cheddar Valley railway line (which closed in the mid-1960s as part of the infamous Beeching cuts).
Map of the current and proposed Strawberry Line route (Image: The Strawberry Line Society)
The £30,000 grant has been applied to several projects designed to improve the accessibility of the route for both locals and visitors – namely:
Improved signage along the path
Publicising the route and potential connections to other parts of the Mendip Hills, both in print and online
Repairing and upgrading sections of the path to improve access for those with restricted mobility
Engaging with pupils at local schools, initially focused on Kings Academy in Cheddar (part of the Wessex Learning Trust)
Installing new interpretation boards with maps at key access points
Mick Fletcher, chairman of the Strawberry Line Society, said: “The access for all funding has helped the Strawberry Line advance considerably this year.
“It has enabled us to make it easier and safer to use the path and encouraged a wider group of users to explore the countryside including many who may have struggled before.
“The grant has supported our volunteers and enabled us to upgrade our tools to low-carbon rechargeable power tools, and communications to the wider public has also helped hugely.
“We now have a membership of 450, and in the region 110 active volunteers, covering over 29 miles. I’d like to thank them all personally for delivering this project.”
To find out more about the Strawberry Line, including how to get involved as a volunteer or financial supporter, visit www.thestrawberryline.org.uk.
Mendip Hills NL manager Jim Hardcastle with Strawberry Line Society volunteers in Cheddar. From left, Chris Hulbert, Strawberry Line Society fundraising officer Gareth Withers, Jim Hardcastle, Strawberry Line chairman Mick Fletcher, Linda Lefevre (Image: Aaron Geis Photography)
The Mendip Hills is one of 46 national landscapes across the UK, having been originally designated as an AONB in 1972.
Jim Hardcastle, manager of the Mendip Hills National Landscape team, said, ‘I’m really pleased we’ve now got the funds from Defra to support important initiatives like the Strawberry Line.
“It’s such a success story for the area, made even more impressive by the fact that so much of it is community-driven.
“We can see how the money has made a real difference and look forward to supporting the Society with a similar grant this year as well.”