Over several decades, hundreds of volunteers have helped transform a disused Somerset railway into a 29-mile community route enjoyed by 175,000 people every year. Now their work has received the King's Award for Voluntary Service.
Volunteers behind one of Somerset's best-loved walking and cycling routes have received one of the country's highest honours, recognising almost 50 years of work transforming a disused railway into a thriving community asset.
The Strawberry Line Society has been selected to receive the King's Award for Voluntary Service 2026, the highest recognition given to voluntary groups in the UK and equivalent in status to an MBE for an individual.
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The award comes just months after the Strawberry Line was voted Britain's Favourite Path 2026 in a nationwide poll organised by the Ramblers Association.
For Mick Fletcher, chair of the Strawberry Line Society, the latest recognition is a tribute to the people who have helped create, maintain and extend the route over several generations.
He said: "We're absolutely delighted. It's recognition for the current volunteers and recognition for those in the past who made it possible. Some sadly no longer with us, but we're standing on the shoulders of people who went before."
The society described the award as a huge honour for its volunteers, founders, partners and supporters, past and present, across historic Somerset.
The Society added: "Winning 'Britain's Favourite Path 2026' was a huge accolade for the path itself, whereas this award is all about the people. People whose dedication, drive and commitment over the last 49 years has helped to create the path we all enjoy today, and the new sections we will enjoy in the future."
The organisation will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027, having first emerged from a small group of campaigners in Winscombe in 1977.
"Our paths connect communities"
An estimated 175,000 people enjoy using the Strawberry Line every year. Mr Fletcher believes its popularity comes from its ability to connect communities, aw well as providing a scenic countryside walk.
He explained: "There's a lot of very pretty paths, but they go through the countryside and people come from a distance and walk them and enjoy them and then go home, whereas ours connect communities."
The wider ambition is to make the Strawberry Line part of a proposed Somerset Circle, linking existing cycling routes across the region and creating a network connecting attractions including Cheddar Gorge, Wells Cathedral and Clevedon Pier.
From forgotten railway to award-winning route
The Strawberry Line follows sections of the former Cheddar Valley railway, which closed to passengers in the 1960s following the Beeching cuts.
Its origins can be traced to local residents who regularly walked a section of disused railway, and became concerned when the land was threatened with being sold.
Their campaigning persuaded the local authority to acquire the route, with the original walking path gradually developing into a much larger network.
Today, around 20 miles of largely traffic-free paths connect communities including Yatton, Congresbury, Sandford, Winscombe, Axbridge and Cheddar, with further extensions being developed towards Wells and Shepton Mallet.
Four local branches and 100 active volunteers
The entirely volunteer-run society has hundreds of members across the country, supporting a range of tasks from watching planning applications and bidding for grants, to restoring path surfaces and chopping back weeds.
The group is organised through a board of trustees and four local branches, with a possible fifth in the future, allowing communities across the line to organise work and campaigns in their own areas.
Much of the work involves partnerships with local authorities, landowners, businesses and organisations including Greenways and Cycleroutes.
Although the Strawberry Line receives funds for capital works from organisations like Somerset Council, most maintenance and upkeep is carried out by their army of dedicated volunteers.
Mr Fletcher explained: "Once the path's built, then there's no money to look after it. And that's where the volunteers come in."
The society is also working to improve accessibility, installing wheelchair-friendly picnic benches and improving sections of the route for people with limited mobility.
Local quarry operators have also donated substantial quantities of stone for resurfacing projects. Mr Fletcher recalled approaching two quarry companies to ask for materials for a new section near Cheddar.
After consulting the project's engineer, he was shocked to discovered they needed a hefty 1,250 tonnes of material for the project.
"I did a kind of second take back to the quarries and said well, yeah, no problems. And they didn't blink," he said. He added that the society had since received around another 800 tonnes of material from the local quarry owners in the county.
Strawberry Line working to expand Somerset walkways
One recent milestone for the team was extending the Cheddar section across the River Axe to the Draycott Park Estate, following years of discussions to secure an agreement to use land around the school's playing field.
Another major project is underway, as 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, which could allow walkers and cyclists to safely pass beneath.
The arches is managed by the Historic Railways Estate, and had previously been filled in following the closure of the railways line.
Mr Fletcher explained: "The contractors actually didn't fill in the third arch. They pretended they did, which as a taxpayer, I'm outraged about, but as a Strawberry Line enthusiast, I'm delighted."
Mick said the route could potentially open around Easter, subject to the necessary permissions. The society is also continuing work on an extension of around 900 metres beyond Easton towards Wells.
'There's things for everybody to do'
Looking to the future, Mr Fletcher hopes the King's Award will help the society attract further support, and strengthen its influence when campaigning for future developments.
He was also keen to stress that volunteering does not necessarily mean hacking back brambles or crushing rocks.
He explained: "It doesn't have to be that demanding. We've got quite a lot of older people who just enjoy doing a little bit of spade work or using a brush, for instance, or a leaf blower, out in the countryside. So there's things for everybody to do."
The society also thanked local communities for their continued support, saying positive messages and the popularity of the route gave it the backing needed to push for the remaining connections.
And with several miles still to connect, the volunteers' work is far from finished. "I think it's a wonderful project, and as well as all that, it's just fun," Mitch added.
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