Fresh progress has been made on plans to extend the popular Strawberry Line through Somerset, including work which could allow walkers and cyclists to safely pass beneath a busy road.
Exploratory work has been taking place at the Three Arches Bridge on Ridge Road, near Shepton Mallet, as part of efforts to extend the route westwards towards Summerhill Lane and, ultimately, to Wells.
The Strawberry Line Society said an arch beneath the road has been dug out to the depth required to investigate creating a route underneath Ridge Road, ultimately avoiding the need for people using the path to cross the road.
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The structure, also known as Stump Cross Bridge, is managed by the Historic Railways Estate. Works have been carried out by a team of dedicated volunteers, as well as local contractors MP & KM Golding Ltd.
Heidelberg Materials UK also supplied 920 tonnes of aggregate towards the Stump Cross bridge path works, which is equivalent to over £16,000 in value.
Mick Fletcher, chair of the Strawberry Line Society, said: “Our exploratory work at Ridge Road, on what is locally known as the Three Arches Bridge, has allowed for an assessment of the feasibility of a safe route for the Strawberry Line avoiding a dangerous road crossing.
"Historic Railways Estate, who manage the bridge, have commissioned work to carry out some minor repairs to the underside and Greenways are working with the Strawberry Line Society to make sure the sides of the cutting have stabilised.
"Until this work is completed, which is expected to be early in the new year, there can be no public access to the site.”
The society said around 450 metres of fencing has also been added at the Summerhill Lane end of the proposed extension earlier this month, although significant work remains before the new section can be opened to the public.
Progress is also being made on a short extension at Easton, while the society has urged people to stay out of sections currently under construction for their own safety.
The Strawberry Line currently provides a continuous route based on the old Cheddar Valley Railway Line that ran until the 1960s. Works on the reimagined travel route began in 1977, and once completed, the Strawberry Line path will run from Shepton Mallet to Clevedon, incorporating the Cheddar Valley Line trackbed wherever possible.
Earlier this year, Somerset Council announced £730,000 over two years to support the Strawberry Line and other rural active travel routes.
A further £30,000 granted in June from the Mendip Hills National Landscape has supported smaller improvements including signage, accessibility work, path repairs and new information boards.
The latest work comes after the Strawberry Line was voted Britain’s Favourite Path 2026 in a public vote run by walking charity the Ramblers.
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