The future is looking bright for the Strawberry Line walking and cycling route following the opening of its newest section in Shepton Mallet.

Once completed, the Strawberry Line will run uninterrupted from Yatton railway station to Collett Park in Shepton Mallet, providing car-free access to Cheddar, Wells and neighbouring villages.

The longest unbroken stretch currently runs from Yatton to Station Road in Cheddar, largely following the trackbed of the former Cheddar Valley railway line, which was closed in the mid-1960s.

Volunteers gathered with residents and Somerset Council representatives in early-November to officially open both the Dulcote extension and the West Shepton section, which includes a new footbridge over the B3136.

But the Strawberry Line Society is not resting on its laurels, with contractors making progress at a further extension near Wells and negotiations going on behind the scenes to close the remaining gaps elsewhere on the route.

The new West Shepton section is designed to provide a connection between two earlier sections which were delivered in March 2023.

The route begins at Stump Cross Bridge on Ridge Road, winding past local farms to the West Shepton Playing Fields, home to the town’s skate park, pump track and football club.

After this, it’s a gentle climb past the allotments onto The Sidings, with pedestrians and cyclists using the existing pavements and road surface to either access the Townsend Shopping Centre or to pick up the separate short section under the A371 Cannard’s Grave Road towards Collett Park.

Construction of this vital section was supervised by volunteer-led charitable organisation Greenways and Cycle Routes, with work being carried out by local contractors MP and KM Golding – who had previously delivered the path connecting the villages of Westbury-sub-Mendip and Easton in the shadow of the Mendip Hills.

Within the next 18 months, further additions will be made to the Strawberry Line, moving the route closer to completion and improving the communities which it serves.

The Strawberry Line Society is working closely with National Highways to unlock Stump Cross Bridge, allowing the route to continue under the busy road westwards.

Under the planned scheme, the next section of the path would pass underneath one of the bridge’s three spans and bend north-west into the neighbouring parish of Croscombe.

The first phase of this new section will be completed in the coming weeks (weather permitting) – but it will only be open to pedestrians until negotiations with the neighbouring landowners have concluded.

In the meantime, pedestrians can reach Haybridge or the surrounding settlements using the existing public rights of way in the local area – with the Strawberry Line urging visitors to adhere closely to these paths to avoid the future of the route being jeopardised.

A spokesman said: “We need to ask everyone to keep out of the whole section for your own safety and to respect what is private land until the work is complete, which will be a week or two yet.

“Any trespassing prior to opening risks the landowner pulling out of phase two of this section, so we appreciate your patience and support.”