Cllr Ros Wyke cuts the ribbon on the new section of the Strawberry Line. Picture: Somerset Council

King of Wessex Gap bridged as part of Strawberry Line extension

Paul JonesNovember 22, 20250 Comment0

THE King of Wessex Gap has been bridged!

Volunteers and locals gathered to celebrate the achievement on Friday (November 14) – part of the Strawberry Line Path in Somerset.

They were joined by Somerset Council representatives at the opening of a link that bridges a section, known as the Kings of Wessex Gap, in Cheddar.

The new section, supported by funding from the council, was built by Greenways & Cycleroutes and runs from the Cheddar Leisure Centre in Station Road, around the perimeter of the Kings Academy playing field, over a new bridge across the Cheddar Yeo.

The route connects to the existing stretch of the Strawberry Line south of Cheddar and enables direct access for people living south of the Yeo to Kings Academy, Cheddar Leisure Centre, Sharpham Road sports ground, the new Bloor estate, Axbridge and Cheddar Reservoir and onto Yatton Starion for national rail access.

Councillor Ros Wyke, associate lead member for active travel and public transport, said: “It’s fantastic to see yet another section of the Strawberry Line delivered and it represents another Active Travel initiative in Somerset – a priority for us as a council.

“The link will provide direct access to the leisure centre, and I hope this will reduce the incentive to drive there.

“Students and teachers at the school now have an off-road route directly to the school gates. Parents will be more prepared to let their children gain the independence to walk or cycle to school – good for both physical and mental health.

“I would like to thank the school, Wessex Learning Trust and the leisure centre for their enthusiasm in making this section of the Strawberry Line turn from being an ambition to a reality.”

The Strawberry Line is a traffic-free path reaching from the Mendips to the sea and has been developed between charities, volunteers, contractors, community groups, councils, Historic Railways Estate and private landowners.

Between them contractors – both local to Cheddar – Holcim UK and Somerset Council’s highways resurfacing partner Heidelberg Materials UK have donated more than 1,200 tonnes of aggregates for the project – worth £25,000.

Simon Parkes, Heidelberg’s unit manager at Batts Combe quarry, said: “Hats off to the Trustees of the Strawberry Line for their incredible work in creating this new link.

“We know it will be valued and enjoyed by the local community including many of our Batts Combe colleagues, so we’re thrilled to play our part in supporting the project.”

And Simon Evans, quarry manager at Holcim UK’s Callow Quarry, added: “Our team at Callow is proud to have played its part in this project. As well as donating aggregate to help reinstate and construct pathways for the Strawberry Line we also volunteered on site as a team.

“As part of the community for many years we recognise what a difference this will make for local people and we look forward to enjoying it alongside them.”