Strawberry Line
Go to online mappingFrom - to: Yatton to Axbridge & Cheddar
Type: Disused Railway Path with short on road sections
Access: Yatton Railway Station
Surface: Generally firm, compacted grit. Some muddy sections near Yatton when wet.
National Cycle Network route number:
The Strawberry Line takes its name from the delicious cargo this former railway line carried from the strawberry fields of Cheddar. The line was well used for nearly a century until its closure in 1965 and since then a wealth of wildlife habitats have been allowed to flourish. Volunteers from the Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society began converting the line into a walking and cycling route in 1983.
This ride is mainly traffic-free with no steep gradients and takes in a variety of landscapes from the flat marshes and cider apple orchards around Yatton, steep wooded valleys and a tunnel through the Mendips, to historic Axbridge and the spectacular Cheddar Gorge.
The route has recently been re-surfaced and on-going improvements will see the current road section through Sandford replaced with a traffic-free path behind the Thatchers cider farm. Care is needed on crossing and using short sections of busy roads at Congresbury, Sandford and Axbridge.
Download a full route description (pdf) - please note this was written in May 2008 before the recent re-surfacing works on the route, the route is no longer muddy at the former Congresbury Station.
Download The Strawberry Line map (pdf).
The Strawberry Line currently connects Yatton and Cheddar, however it could eventually be extended to link Clevedon and Cranmore with links to other local communities. For more details visit www.thestrawberryline.co.uk.
Local attractions:
Bike hire: