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The Strawberry Line
The Bristol and Exeter Railway Company constructed the Strawberry Line in broad gauge. Francis Fox, who was educated at Sidcot School near Winscombe, supervised the construction assisted by his brother John.
The first train ran on 3 August 1869 and for the next 93 years there were several trains a day. As well as the famous strawberries from Cheddar the line was used to transport stone, milk and coal.The stations were central to village life and several had camping coaches allowing families to stay on holiday.
The 6 mile Wrington Vale branch linked Congresbury to Blagdon and opened in 1901. Despite early enthusiasm, however, usage of the line soon declined and the passenger service closed in 1931 although freight was carried to Wrington until 1963.
After the Second World War better roads, motor vehicles and bus services led to a gradual decline in passengers and, despite protests, the Strawberry Line was closed to passengers by Doctor Beeching on 7 September 1963.
Want to learn more?
If you want to discover more about the history and wildlife of the Strawberry Line why not go to the following websites:
North Somerset Council: www.n-somerset.gov.uk
Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group: www.yacwag.org.uk
Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society: www.cheddarvalleywalk.org.uk
Mendips Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: www.mendiphillsanob.org.uk
Environment Agency: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Natural England: www.naturalengland.org.uk
National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
British Geological Society: www.bgs.ac.uk/mendips/localities/crookpeak.html
Sustrans: www.sustrans.org.uk
Traveline: www.traveline.org.uk
For up to date travel services visit: www.n-somerset.gov.uk/transport/travel/bus/travelmap.html
Nearest Tourist Information Centres
Cheddar Tourist Information Centre:01934 744071. www.visitsomerset.co.ukOpen 2 April – early November (only Sundays in Winter)
Weston-Super-Mare Tourist Information Centre:01934 888800. www.visitsomerset.co.ukOpen daily Easter – September (Monday – Sunday) October – Easter (Monday – Saturday)
This leaflet has been researched and written by Parkin Heritage and Tourism, designed by Imagemakers InterpretiveDesign & Consulting and produced for the North Somerset Council by Imagemakers.
Discover the secrets of the...
Heritage Trail
© M
ark
War
burt
on.
© S
SPL/
Nat
iona
l Rai
lway
Mus
eum
.
Family enjoying a camping coach holiday at Chedder in 1950s.
2-6-2T No 5511 arrives at Sandford and Banwell Station with a train from Yatton on 21 June 1958. The signalman waits to exchange the single line tokens with the locomotive fireman.
Welcome to the Strawberry LineThis rural railway opened in 1869 linking the Bristol-Exeter line at Yatton with Cheddar and Wells. For nearly a century several trains a day served the village communities along the line.
When it closed to passengers in 1963the Cheddar Valley Railway Walk Society,supported by North Somerset Council,worked tirelessly to acquire the track bed.
With the benefit of grants the 13km section from Yatton to the A38 south of Winscombe has been upgraded to become a high quality heritage trail incorporating National Cycle Route 26.
Passing through the contrasting landscapes of the Levels and Moors of the Northmarsh and the stunning Mendip Hills the route is steeped in history and has abundant wildlife. It even offers a walk or cycle through a tunnel!
The railway was part of rural life for 100 years…you can almost see the engine smoke and hear the distant whistle of an approaching train!
We hope you enjoy your visit!
Changing landscapes… rich biodiversity: returning wildlifeThe trail passes across the ancient Northmarsh before entering the foothills of the Mendips. The mix of tall hedgerows, rough grassland and ditches, known as rhynes, make up the Biddle Street Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The area is frequented by otters, grass snakes, toads, newts and many varieties of butterflies, birds and bats. The rhynes, and the Strawberry Line itself, are important natural corridors allowing wildlife to pass from one area to another.
The Levels landscape, mainly used for cattlefarming today, is the result of centuries of management. Water levels in the rhynes are carefully controlled by sluices whilst vegetation is cleared annually (a process called keeching)providing valuable organic material for the fields.
Further south, around Sandford, orchards support a long local tradition of cider making by Thatchers Cider Company. Here the landscape and scenery changes as the line enters the Mendips. The change to limestone is reflected in drier conditions and a different range of plants and animals. The wooded hillsides are clothed in oak and ash.
Along the line there are early and common spotted orchids, ferns, bats and, on warm summer evenings, look out for glow worms.
In Shute Shelve Tunnel you can clearly see the change in the
geology from brick faced soft marl to hard limestone. The tunnel is home to several bat species and rare cave spiders!
© G
erald Peacock.
The closure of the railway meant the bridge carrying the A370 over the railway at Congresbury could be demolished and the road constructed at the original track level.
Hairy Dragonfly
Marbled White Butterfly Pipistrelle Bat
Sedge Warbler
YA
TTO
N
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NG
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UR
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OSS
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ury
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risto
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xto
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n W
ild
life
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st)
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ill
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ne
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arr
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sco
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in
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od
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ne
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arr
y
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ng
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wn
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leb
ury
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n W
ild
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st)
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BR
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on
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tio
n
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hedd
ar
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nmen
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ngto
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le L
igh
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ay
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ip W
ay
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ry H
ill
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od
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od
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ute
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sco
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us
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ices
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e to
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126
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ton-
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r-M
are
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ells
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esto
n-su
per-
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e to
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pham
.
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dfo
rdB
us
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ices
12
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d 83
4 Br
isto
l to
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ton-
supe
r-M
are.
12
6 an
d 82
6 W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e to
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ddar
and
Wel
ls.
793
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to
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are.
834
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are
to
Bish
ops
Sutt
on.
835
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are
toC
hew
ton
Men
dip.
Co
ng
resb
ury
Bu
s se
rvic
es
351,
352
and
353
W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e to
Bris
tol.
8 C
leve
to
Wes
ton
Col
lege
.60
1 U
pper
Lan
dfor
d to
C
ribbs
Cau
sew
ay.
X2
Nai
lsea
to
Burn
ham
on
Sea.
Yatt
on
Tr
ain
serv
ices
fro
m
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are,
W
orle
, Nai
lsea
and
Ba
ckw
ell a
nd B
risto
l.
Bu
s se
rvic
es
600
Yatt
on t
o C
ribbs
Cau
sew
ay.
Bu
t p
leas
e re
mem
ber
…
that
the
Str
awbe
rry
Line
is a
her
itage
tra
il fo
r w
alke
rs, c
yclis
ts a
nd w
heel
chai
r us
ers.
C
yclis
ts s
houl
d m
ake
them
selv
es h
eard
and
gi
ve w
ay t
o w
alke
rs. D
ogs
shou
ld b
e ke
pt
unde
r co
ntro
l at
all t
imes
… a
nd r
espe
ct
the
Cou
ntry
Cod
e:
Le
ave
no li
tter
D
o no
t pi
ck w
ild fl
ower
s
or
dist
urb
anim
als
Le
ave
only
foo
tprin
ts…
t
ake
only
pic
ture
s
and
mem
orie
s!
Yatt
on w
as a
wel
l est
ablis
hed
villa
ge in
N
orm
an t
imes
with
evi
denc
e of
an
Iron
Age
hill
for
t on
Cad
bury
Hill
. St
Mar
y’s
Chu
rch
was
bui
lt in
the
14t
h ce
ntur
y.Th
e to
wn
deve
lope
d an
impo
rtan
t ca
ttle
mar
ket
with
the
com
ing
of t
he r
ailw
ay.
The
trai
l co
nti
nu
es s
ou
th a
cro
ss t
he
A38
to
th
e at
trac
tive
to
wn
of
Axb
rid
ge
on
th
e so
uth
ern
ed
ge
of
the
Men
dip
Hill
s, w
hic
h
also
has
an
illu
stri
ou
s h
isto
ry d
atin
g b
ack
to R
om
an t
imes
.
So m
uch
to
en
joy…
defi
nit
ely
wo
rth
a
rep
eat
visi
t!
© R. Lacey Collection.
Plac
es t
o v
isit
alo
ng
th
e tr
ail
The
13km
tra
il p
asse
s th
rou
gh
co
ntr
asti
ng
la
nd
scap
es a
nd
yet
is c
lose
to
att
ract
ive
villa
ges
, all
of
wh
ich
hav
e vi
sito
r se
rvic
es
incl
ud
ing
pu
bs
and
res
tau
ran
ts, s
ho
ps
and
to
ilets
. Man
y o
ffer
fre
sh p
rod
uce
.
A c
offin
is lo
aded
ont
o a
pass
enge
r tr
ain
in 1
963
to m
ark
the
end
of t
he f
amou
s St
raw
berr
y Li
ne.
2.8
km /
1.8
mile
s
Yatt
onJ
30 m
insx
8 m
ins
Co
ng
resb
ury
5.6
km /
3.5
mile
s
J60
min
sx
15 m
ins
San
dfo
rd
2.3
km /
1.4
mile
s
J25
min
sx
6 m
ins
Win
sco
mb
e
2.1
km /
1.3
mile
s
J20
min
sx
7 m
ins
A38
2.3
km /
1.4
mile
s
25 m
insx
8 m
ins
Axb
rid
ge
Shu
te S
hel
ve J
1
A p
ort
in R
oman
tim
es, C
ongr
esbu
ry, l
ocal
ly
pron
ounc
ed ‘C
ongs
bry’
, ow
es it
s na
me
to
the
Cel
tic m
issi
onar
y St
Con
gar
who
set
tled
in t
he a
rea
in t
he 5
th c
entu
ry a
nd is
rep
uted
to
hav
e pe
rfor
med
thr
ee m
iracl
es. S
t A
ndre
w’s
Chu
rch
was
bui
lt in
the
13t
h ce
ntur
y an
d th
e m
arke
t cr
oss
date
s fr
om a
roun
d th
at t
ime.
Th
e to
wn
deve
lope
d st
rong
ass
ocia
tions
w
ith B
risto
l fro
m t
he 1
6th
cent
ury
and
this
ca
n st
ill b
e se
en a
s th
e Sh
ip &
Cas
tle’s
sign
fe
atur
es t
he B
risto
l coa
t of
arm
s.
Sand
ford
is t
he h
ome
of T
hatc
hers
cid
er
whi
ch c
eleb
rate
d its
cen
tena
ry in
200
4.
The
orch
ards
gen
erat
e ov
er 2
5,00
0 to
nnes
of
app
les
a ye
ar a
nd t
he p
rodu
ce c
an b
e sa
mpl
ed in
the
Rai
lway
Inn.
3
The
form
er s
tatio
n bu
ildin
g ha
s be
en c
aref
ully
re
stor
ed b
y St
Mon
ica
Trus
t in
the
tra
ditio
nal
GW
R liv
ery
and
has
open
ed a
s a
Her
itage
C
entr
e m
anag
ed b
y a
loca
l gro
up. W
hy
not
pay
the
cent
re a
vis
it?
4
Win
scom
be e
xist
ed in
Sax
on t
imes
. Th
e C
hurc
h of
St
Jam
es d
ates
fro
m t
he
15th
cen
tury
and
is w
ell w
orth
a v
isit.
A M
illen
nium
Gre
en h
as b
een
esta
blis
hed
on t
he f
orm
er s
tatio
n si
te.
5
1
2
34
5
Bar
n O
wl
Mar
ble
d W
hit
e B
utt
erfl
y
660
Con
gres
bury
to
Por
tishe
ad.
351,
352
, 353
W
esto
n-Su
per-
Mar
e to
Bris
tol.
8 C
leve
to
Wes
ton
Col
lege
.
KEY
Park
ing
Go
lf
An
glin
g
Stra
wb
erry
Lin
e
On
-ro
ad s
ecti
on
Nat
ion
al T
rust
pro
per
ty
Wes
t M
end
ip W
ay
2
© Derek Phillips.
A b
ranc
h tr
ain
from
Bla
gdon
arr
ives
at
Wrin
gton
in 1
903
with
thr
ee
four
-whe
eled
coa
ches
. A t
otal
of
11,0
20 p
asse
nger
tic
kets
wer
e is
sued
fr
om t
he s
tatio
n th
at y
ear.
A 0
-6-0
sad
ddle
tan
k w
ith s
ix
coac
hes
abou
t to
leav
e fo
r Ya
tton
w
hils
t a
frei
ght
trai
n, a
lso
boun
d fo
r Ya
tton
, wai
ts it
s tu
rn.
Early
sta
geco
ach
trav
ellin
g ov
er
Shut
e Sh
elf
befo
re 1
850.
From collections of North Somerset Museum.
Ree
d B
un
tin
gD
orm
ou
se
The
mai
nten
ance
of
the
Stra
wbe
rry
Line
pat
h is
sup
port
ed b
y N
atur
al E
ngla
nd t
hrou
gh a
pe
rmis
sive
acc
ess
Agr
i-Env
ironm
ent
sche
me.
WC
Toile
ts