The Strawberry Line

Posted by Anthony, May 16, 2011

The West Country is amazing for walks and there are few better than this one. The Strawberry Line was an affectionate name given to the railway track that ran between Yatton, Cheddar, Wells and Shepton Mallet, and on to Cranmore and beyond to Witham.

Part of the Great Western Railway, the Strawberry Line was completed in 1869. It became an important line for passengers and freight carrying dairy produce, stone, and of course, the famous Cheddar strawberries from which it takes its name. Victorian railway engineers completed a section of track which connected the Cheddar Valley settlements to Bristol. This brought huge benefits to the local economy opening up lucrative London markets to locally grown produce.

Renown for their quality strawberries grown on the southern slopes of the Mendip Hills, an army of strawberry growers and pickers fed the tables of the capital with this wonderful early season fruit for nearly a century. The Cheddar Valley Railway Line line soon became known affectionately as “The Strawberrry Line” but finally closed in 1965.

The route from Yatton to Cheddar is about 10 miles long and surrounded by amazing countryside. This is well worth the trip and with strawberry picking time coming up there is no better time to do it!!!!

For more info on the walk visit the strawberry line website