Cheddar Valley line

The Cheddar Valley line (also known as the Strawberry Line) was a railway line that ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar, Wells and Shepton Mallet to Witham in England.

The Strawberry Line was built as a railway line in 1869 to carry strawberries from Cheddar. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve. [cite web |url=http://www.forestofavon.org/sl.html |title=Strawberry Line |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Forest of Avon ]

History

In the middle of the 19th century there were a large number of railway companies operating and this, in part, led to the line being built in several sections. The first section built was the East Somerset Railway from Witham to Shepton Mallet, opening on 9 November 1858. The line was extended to Wells, opening on 1 March 1862. This extended line was bought by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1874.

Meanwhile, Yatton was under the control of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, which opened the branch through to Cheddar on 3 August 1869, [cite web |url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Cheddar_Valley_and_Yatton_Railway/frame.htm |title=Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=RAILSCOT ] although the station had existed since 1841. [cite web |url=http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/yatton.php |title=Yatton |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Bristol Railway Archive ] This was extended to Wells on 5 April 1870, with the opening of the Tucker Street station, but the link through to the East Somerset line from Witham was not completed until 1878, and involved passing through a third Wells station, Wells (Priory Road) and using a section of track owned and operated by the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The S&DJR was already standard gauge by this time, and the other two railways had moved from broad gauge to standard gauge in 1875. [cite web |url=http://www.cheddarsomerset.co.uk/history/Cheddar%20Railway.htm |title=Cheddar valley railway|accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Cheddar Village and Gorge ] The Bristol and Exeter was acquired by the GWR in 1876, and the integrated service ran from Yatton through to Witham, which became the standard service for this line from 1878. The line was single-track for most of the journey between Yatton and Wells, apart from the junction at Congresbury. At Wells, trains ran through the Priory Road S&DJR station without stopping until 1934, and that station remained open as the terminus of the short branch line from Glastonbury and Street until the branch closure in 1951 left Tucker Street as the last remaining Wells station [Cite book| author = Mike Oakley| title = "Somerset Railway Stations"| edition = 2002 | publisher = Dovecote Press, Wimborne| page = p125] .

The prime motivation for the line to Cheddar and Draycott was to provide transport for strawberries, and Cheddar cheese. This led to its nickname the "Strawberry Line". The pub opposite the station in Draycott is now called "The Strawberry Special".

On 4 December 1901, the Wrington Vale Light Railway opened a branch from Congresbury to Blagdon. This survived until 14 September 1931 for passenger traffic, and 1 November 1950 for goods traffic.

The Cheddar Valley line survived until the Beeching Axe. Towards the end of its life, there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964 [Cite book| author = Gerald Daniels and L.A.Dench | title = "Passengers No More" | edition = 1974 | publisher = Ian Allan| page = p16] .

The Strawberry Line Trail

Today, the line between Yatton and Cheddar exists as the "Strawberry Line" railway walk and part of the National Cycle Network route 26.

The trail starts at Yatton railway station and is in good condition most of the way to Congresbury, although it is necessary to follow a farm track near Congresbury as the railway bridge over the Congresbury Yeo river has been demolished. The platforms of the former station here remain, as do houses built for railway workers. Although the platforms are currently covered in vegetation and in need of repair due to root damage, the track bed between platforms is clear of undergrowth and as of July 2008 has been levelled with a fine gravel surface applied.

The route to Sandford continues with quality surfacing and has been widened, although currently lacking in seats with none for over convert|3|mi|km|0|lk=on. The track bed around Sandford behind the Farm Shop is for the time being closed and under negotiations, work had started on the short stretch to the A368 and it may be open in later 2008 [http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EA892C65-C881-4A81-91FD-25FD30171670/0/leaflet_StrawberryLineLeaflet.pdfTransport/Travel/Cycling/strawberryline.htm (see map)] . The footpath temporarily joins roads for approximately convert|1.09|mi|km|0 meeting up again with the old line just after Sandford & Banwell station. The buildings and platforms here were preserved by the owners of the site Sandford Stone, this business has now closed and the site is under redevelopment as a sheltered housing complex. The route goes around the perimeter of the site with a view of the station buildings through the fence. The station, platform and goods shed will be refurbished as part of the development with the main station building hopefully open to the public.

The scenery through to Winscombe changes from open moorland to railway cuttings, with the path in condition to match the previous sections. Upon reaching the site of the former station now being the villages Millennium Green the platform is preserved, and a time line of local and world events inserted along its length. The small red bricked facade of the demolished station building has been laid flat into is former foundation, and the layout of rooms can still be seen. Seats and lighting have been provided with public toilets also available to the rear of the platform at street level.

After Winscombe the line continues to Shute Shelve Tunnel, the surface through has been tarmaced but unlit except for a central guide line of small solar powered "cat's eyes" automatically switched on by pedestrians or cyclists entering the tunnel. It passes under the Mendip Way. The track bed around Axbridge is now the A371 bypass, but the station building, goods shed and station master's house are all in use for various purposes. The Strawberry Line Trail goes through the town itself missing out the station site higher on the hillside behind the church.

The railway track is regained opposite St Michael's Cheshire Home and is in good condition through to Cheddar, with a picnic spot overlooking the reservoir. The route comes to an end at the side of the former station now in use as a stone masons surrounded by a small industrial estate, just convert|1|mi|km|0 from Cheddar Gorge.

The nature reserve which is based around the old railway line has been reclaimed by nature. Habitats include dense scrub, which encourages birds and bats. Areas of rough grass are occupied by amphibians and reptiles, and grass snakes or slow worms can be seen basking in the sun. [cite web |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=1&ID=1246&N= |title=Cheddar Valley Railway Walk |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Natural England ] It also includes parts of the Biddle Street Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Future plans

There are plans by the local councils and the Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society to extend the footpath along the line from Cheddar all the way to Wells by 2008. In places the old railway has been built on, but the plan is to follow the line as close as possible. [cite web |url=http://www.cheddarvalleywalk.org.uk/ |title=Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society ] The "Safe Paths for All" campaign also aims to extend the path from Wells to Shepton Mallet and Cranmore by 2012. [cite web | url= http://www.thestrawberryline.co.uk/d/54/Aims.html | publisher= The Strawberry Line | title= Aims | accessdate= 2008-09-28] A footbridge over the Congresbury Yeo in place of the long demolished rail bridge is also planned. [cite web |url=http://www.cheddarvalleywalk.org.uk/ |title=Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society ]

At the other end of the walk, a feasibility study has been mooted which would see the walk extended from Yatton to Clevedon along the former Clevedon branch line. Again parts of the line have been built on and station buildings no longer exist.

References

External links

* [http://www.thestrawberryline.co.uk/ The Strawberry Line official website]
* [http://www.cheddarvalleywalk.org.uk/ Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society]
* [http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Leisure/parksandopenspaces/localnaturereserves/cheddarvalleyrailway.htm Cheddar Valley Railway from North Somerset Council]
* [http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EA892C65-C881-4A81-91FD-25FD30171670/0/leaflet_StrawberryLineLeaflet.pdf Strawberry Line pdf Cycle Map (Note: Section behind the Farm Shop at Sandford not complete, use road.)]