The Strawberry Line active travel route currently runs uninterrupted from Yatton railway station to Labourham Way in Cheddar, and will eventually run 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.
The route has now been crowned Britain’s favourite path following a public vote organised by The Ramblers Association, a registered charity which is pushing for improved access to the UK countryside.
This accolade comes shortly after the path was identified by Active Travel England – part of the Department for Transport (DfT) – as a benchmark for delivering active travel networks in rural areas.
Map of the current and proposed Strawberry Line route (Image: The Strawberry Line Society)
The Strawberry Line was the only route in the entirety of the south west to be a finalist, winning the poll ahead of the West Highland Way near Loch Lomond in Scotland, the Holy Island Causeway near Lindisfarne in Northumberland, and Pinnacle Hill in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.
The path was nominated by Amanda Jane Baldwin, who lives in the village of Winscombe, near Cheddar.
She said: “This path is part of me and my life. I walk it, I talk it, I breathe it.
“It’s an escape, a release, a feelgood factor. It’s great for your health, well-being and your soul, and to have the opportunity to share the green spaces with other people, wildlife and nature is just magical.
“The fact that this path is on my doorstep means everything to me.
“I do not need a car, I can walk for miles to get to where I want to be and I’ve significantly lowered my carbon footprint. It’s so important to have green spaces close to your doorstep and this path opens up so many benefits to me.”
Councillor Ros Wyke, Somerset Council’s associate portfolio holder for active travel, has been a champion of the path for many years, setting aside funding to deliver numerous missing links as the final leader of Mendip District Council before its abolition in April 2023.
Ms Wyke (whose Mendip West division also includes a significant section of the route) said: “I could not be prouder. There was stiff competition for the title.
“The Strawberry Line submission emphasised that it is special in that it is a live community project supported by local authorities, as well as hundreds of volunteers who give thousands of hours each year to promote, develop and maintain the path.
“It’s not only a path to discover and enjoy Somerset countryside, wildlife, and our diverse rural settlements, but also a greatly valued off road route for local residents.
Section of the Strawberry Line near Cheddar (Image: The Strawberry Line Society)
“The Strawberry Line represents a long-term delivery of a vision held by many of us, a commitment by hundreds of volunteers over decades, overcoming numerous obstacles to create a path that is truly needed.
“It is enjoyed, cared for, continually enhanced and shared with our visitors, so it’s no wonder that it was voted by many as their favourite path.”
The council recently launched its rural active travel toolkit to enable communities across Somerset to deliver similar paths, including support for grant funding applications, advice on maintenance and hints on how to keep costs down on delivery.
This toolkit will serve as both a starting point for new groups and a support service for those wishing to extend or upgrade existing rural parts, such as the Stop Line Way between Chard and Ilminster or the Steam Coast Trail between Minehead and Williton.
Ms Wyke added: “The toolkit aims to encourage and support more projects like these by providing communities with the confidence, knowledge and practical tools to get started.
Signage advertising the Strawberry Line in Easton (Image: The Strawberry Line Society)
“We know that there are those who are already active or interested in developing active travel schemes, like parish councils, community groups and local volunteers.
“”But we also hope it will inspire people who have identified a local issue or opportunity and want to explore how active travel improvements could benefit their community.”
In addition to its Ramblers accolade, the Strawberry Line was one of 16 active travel routes (and one of only two in the south west) used as a case study by Active Travel England in its recent ‘rural design guide’, which lays out the best practice for delivering walking and cycling links outside of urban areas.
The guide noted: “With route development ongoing, some sections are yet to be connected to the wider network and are yet to realise their full potential as a spine in the Somerset cycle network.
“Yet within a year of opening, several sections have attracted more than 100,000 users per year and are already important corridors for commuting and school journeys.
Strawberry Line Society chairman Mick Fletcher near the new Cheddar Yeo bridge (Image: Daniel Mumby)
“Upon completion of the full route, all the sections will be connected, enabling local utility journeys between towns and villages in addition to leisure trips.
“The reliance on community groups and volunteers has helped to reduce design and construction costs substantially.”
More than 20 miles of the planned 29-mile route have already been completed, with the Strawberry Line Society laying out its ambitions for the next 12 months on its official Facebook page.
A spokesperson said: “In partnership through Somerset Council and Greenways & Cycle Routes, we hope in 2027 to extend from Cheddar towards Rodney Stoke using existing lanes, push west from Shepton Mallet towards Dulcote from Ridge Road under Stump Cross Bridge and complete phase two of four to connect Easton with the Haybridge area of Wells.
“In north Somerset, the Banwell bypass path link should connect the Strawberry Line through to Locking and Worle, adding additional destinations for our communities and allowing more people to access the Strawberry Line and reach into the Mendip Hills.
Exploratory work to extend the Strawberry Line under Stump Cross Bridge in Shepton Mallet (Image: The Strawberry Line Society)
“In partnership with the Mendip Hills National Landscape team, we are working at multiple points on the path on accessibility improvement projects.
“Those range from surface improvements and widening through to mobility accessible viewpoints, better access to parking and a link from the West Mendip Way to the Strawberry Line at the Kings Wood car park in Winscombe.
“As we approach our 50th anniversary in 2027, there’s a lot going on. We are closing the gaps, metre by metre.”
To find out more about the Strawberry Line, including how to get involved as a volunteer, visit www.thestrawberryline.org.uk.
The Strawberry Line at the existing crossing on the A38 Shute Shelve Hill near Axbridge, looking north (Image: Daniel Mumby)
In addition to these upgrades, Somerset Council will be making small-scale improvements to the Shute Shelve crossing over the A38 near Axbridge as part of a wider programme of highway improvements.
Papers published before an executive committee meeting on Wednesday (September 2) have confirmed the start dates for two of these related schemes – the upgrading of the Edithmead roundabout in Highbridge, and the creation of a staggered crossroads at the Cross junction.
The start date for the Shute Shelve improvements, and similar enhancements at Rooksbridge, have not yet been confirmed.