The newest section of a car-free route linking communities near the Mendip Hills will be open to the public by the late-summer, weather permitting.
The Strawberry Line currently runs uninterrupted from Yatton railway station to Wedmore Road in Cheddar, and will eventually reach all the way to Collett Park in Shepton Mallet.
Numerous extensions to the multi-user path have been implemented over the last few years, with the focus being on closing the gap between Shepton Mallet and Wells via the neighbouring villages.
The Strawberry Line Society published proposals in early-March for a new link near Kings Academy in Cheddar, extending the existing route from the village’s reservoir down to local housing developments.
Work on this new stretch is now officially under way, with the preliminary elements aiming to be in place by the end of the Easter holidays and the new section being open to the public within a matter of months.
Mick Fletcher, chairman of the Strawberry Line Society, was joined in the grounds of the academy on Monday (April 7) by around a dozen other volunteers and contractors to begin fencing off the section of the playing fields where the path will be erected.
David Parkin, who has been involved in the Strawberry Line project for more than 20 years, had the honour of digging the first sod of earth out as part of a wider commencement ceremony.
He said: “We’ve had such terrific help on this project from the academy. We want to acknowledge their co-operation on this.
“For a long long time, we’ve repeatedly tried to get a route through in this direction and it’s been repeatedly blocked by one thing or another – so it’s a terrific day to see this happen.”
Mr Fletcher added: “We’ve had tremendous co-operation from the school, but also the multi-academy trust and the Diocese of Bath and Wells – all three have had to be involved in this.
“We’d also like to thank our neighbours – we’re taking a little portion of land just to make sure we don’t cut off the edge of the rugby pitch, and they’ve been really helpful as well.”
This new section of path will be constructed near Cheddar’s household waste recycling centre, coming around the site of the leisure centre and sloping behind an existing bund at the end of the north-western corner of the playing fields.
The new fence will run along a significant stretch of the school’s western boundary, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to pass through while preventing unauthorised access to the school grounds.
Where the path veers away from the playing fields at a crucial pinch point, Strawberry Line volunteers have already planted 450 trees on neighbouring land, which has been secured for the path under a 50-year lease.
South of the playing fields, a new walking and cycling bridge will be constructed over the Cheddar Yeo – along the lines of the bridge installed over the B3136 West Shepton in Shepton Mallet back in October 2024.
For more information on the Strawberry Line visit www.thestrawberryline.org.uk.