Bridges and viaducts are the keys to greater access

A NEW section of path beneath a former railway bridge in Shepton Mallet is being hailed as a sign of new co-operation between several key organisations and landowners to improve access to traffic-free corridors for all.

Mendip District Council has opened the new section next to the Shape Mendip Campus which provides a link between Collett Park, the Tadley Acres housing state and East Shepton residents to the Townsend Retail Park and West Shepton. It forms part of the Strawberry Line project to connect Shepton Mallet to Clevedon as well as the 76-mile Somerset Circle route.

Representatives from National Highways, Somerset County Council, Shepton Mallet Town Council, Greenways & Cycleroutes and volunteers from The Strawberry Line project attended the opening.

Now campaigners working to open a disused stretch of the Somerset and Dorset railway track above the town from the edge of Croscombe to the Showerings Cider Mill – and possibly beyond – as a multi-user route hope the success of the Shape Mendip Campus project will hasten efforts to open the Bath Road Viaduct – currently blocked by steel barriers – to the north of the town.

One of the two Windsor Hill tunnels has already been opened and parts of the trackbed leading to the Ham Wood viaduct have been cleared of dead ash trees and undergrowth in anticipation of permissions being granted to create the new route.

Leader of Mendip District Council, Councillor Ros Wyke (who has campaigned for traffic-free paths for two decades), said: “This is an important and significant day for us. We have been campaigning with partners, volunteers, and government at all levels, for many years to get this going.

“I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution to make this happen. This is a pivotal point in our determination to make multi-user paths part of our everyday life.”

Hélène Rossiter, head of the National Highways Historical Railways Estate programme, said: “We’re proud to have played a part in the creation of this new active travel route. This path offers a safe passage for people crossing the bridge while connecting walkers and cyclists to other active travel routes in Shepton Mallet.

“We care about our structures, the history they represent, and connections people have with them. By preserving and enhancing the unique Cannards Grave Road Bridge, we can maintain it for future generations to enjoy.”