A significant missing link in Somerset’s expanding Strawberry Line path has officially opened, enhancing cycling and walking accessibility for residents south of the Cheddar Yeo. This new section bridges the “Kings of Wessex Gap,” previously a barrier to seamless off-road travel, and marks a major milestone in the region’s active travel network.
Community members, volunteers, and Somerset Council representatives gathered to celebrate the launch. The pathway, constructed by Greenways & Cycleroutes and funded by Somerset Council, begins at the Cheddar Leisure Centre on Station Road. It weaves around Kings Academy’s playing fields before spanning the river with a newly built 30-metre bridge.
This development connects the southern Strawberry Line directly to central Cheddar and beyond, providing convenient access to Kings Academy, the leisure centre, Sharpham Road sports ground, the Bloor estate, Axbridge, Cheddar Reservoir, and Yatton Station for national rail travel.
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Councillor Ros Wyke, Somerset Council’s associate lead member for active travel and public transport, highlighted the project’s impact: “This link delivers a crucial off-road route for students and teachers, encouraging healthier, independent journeys to school. It also improves access to leisure facilities, supporting our goal to reduce car journeys.”
She praised the enthusiasm of Kings Academy, the Wessex Learning Trust, and the leisure centre in transforming this section from a vision into reality.
The Strawberry Line forms a broader traffic-free corridor stretching from the Mendips to the coast. This community-driven project converts a disused railway into a versatile multi-use path for walkers, cyclists, mobility users, and horse riders, supported by numerous local groups, contractors, and councils.
Notably, the Cheddar extension benefited from generous material donations by Holcim UK and Heidelberg Materials UK, who contributed over 1,200 tonnes of aggregates valued at £25,000. Simon Parkes of Heidelberg and Simon Evans of Holcim expressed pride in supporting a project that will serve the local community for years to come.
Previously supported by Mendip Council and now championed by Somerset Council, the Strawberry Line continues to promote active travel, reduce traffic congestion, cut pollution, and boost local economies along its route.