Strawberry Line Named Britain’s Favourite Path

Published: 27 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

An abandoned railway route in Somerset has been named Britain’s favourite path after a community-led transformation turned the former railway line into a popular destination for walkers, cyclists and other users of the countryside.

The Strawberry Line path, near Winscombe in North Somerset, won this year’s national competition organised by walking charity The Ramblers. The route was selected following a month-long public vote, beating paths from across Britain to claim the title.

The result provides recognition not only for the landscape surrounding the route but also for the volunteers who helped convert a disused railway corridor into a long-distance recreational path accessible to a wide range of people.

The route follows the former Great Western Railway branch line that once connected Witham Junction with Yatton, passing through communities including Shepton Mallet, Wells and Cheddar. Although trains have long disappeared from the line, much of its former route now provides a way for people to travel through the countryside away from busy roads.

The path takes its distinctive name from the railway’s agricultural past. The line was once used to transport large quantities of strawberries grown in the Mendip Hills to markets elsewhere in Britain. The railway continued serving the area until the late 1960s, when the branch line eventually closed.

Today, the former railway corridor has a very different purpose.

Local volunteers have helped develop more than 20 miles of route for walkers and cyclists, while sections are accessible to wheelchair users and people using mobility scooters. Some parts of the path are also open to equestrians.

That combination of accessibility, scenery and community involvement appears to have been central to its popularity in the public vote.

Amanda Jane Baldwin, who nominated the Strawberry Line, said she had walked the route “more times than I can count” since moving to Winscombe seven years ago.

She described it as a route that remained enjoyable in different weather conditions and praised its length, natural surroundings and accessibility.

“It’s accessible in all weathers, it goes on for miles, it’s an absolute pleasure to walk on, it’s beautiful and I appreciate the nature all around me whilst on the path,” Baldwin said.

She also highlighted the volunteer effort behind the route, saying its community maintenance made the path “all the more precious”.

The Strawberry Line’s success means the South West has retained the national title for a second consecutive year. In 2025, a section of the South West Coast Path between Bude and Westward Ho! was voted Britain’s favourite path.

The latest result reinforces the importance of walking routes across the region, while also demonstrating how former industrial infrastructure can be given a new role in modern communities.

For many visitors, the Strawberry Line offers more than a straightforward route between two locations. Its history, natural environment and accessibility have combined to create a destination that serves recreational, transport and community purposes.

The former railway infrastructure also provides a reminder of how Britain’s landscape has changed over generations. Routes originally designed to carry goods and passengers can, after their railway operations end, become corridors through which people experience nature and connect with neighbouring communities.

The competition itself was established by The Ramblers three years ago as a way of celebrating Britain’s extensive network of public paths and highlighting their importance to communities.

The charity said the annual vote was intended to showcase the beauty and diversity of the country’s walking routes while drawing attention to the importance of maintaining public access to nature.

This year’s runner-up was the Buttermere Circular Path in the Lake District. The tidal Holy Island Causeway in Northumberland came third.

The range of routes shortlisted for the competition illustrates the different landscapes that Britain’s path network offers, from Somerset’s former railway corridors to mountain and coastal environments.

Rachel Mulrenan, campaigns manager at The Ramblers, described local paths as “lifelines” connecting people with green spaces, fresh air and opportunities to support their physical and mental wellbeing.

“Right now, we need these things more than ever,” she said.

However, Mulrenan warned that access to nature cannot be taken for granted. She said millions of people across Britain were effectively cut off from the countryside because local paths were missing, blocked or unusable.

She described the Strawberry Line as an example of what can happen when communities successfully open up and expand access to paths.

The route’s development also demonstrates the importance of volunteer involvement in maintaining Britain’s recreational infrastructure. While public paths can provide significant benefits to communities, their condition can depend heavily on local organisations and volunteers who work to maintain them and improve accessibility.

The Strawberry Line’s history makes that contribution particularly significant. What was once a railway route serving an important agricultural trade has been adapted to meet contemporary needs, allowing people to explore the same corridor at a slower pace.

Its accessibility for wheelchair users and mobility scooter users is also significant at a time when campaigners are increasingly highlighting the need for countryside routes to be usable by people with different mobility requirements.

For cyclists, former railway lines can provide relatively gentle gradients compared with many traditional countryside routes. For walkers, they offer opportunities to explore villages, farmland and natural habitats without relying entirely on roads.

The Strawberry Line therefore represents a broader trend in Britain in which disused railway infrastructure is being repurposed for walking and cycling. Such routes can provide alternatives to car travel while supporting recreation, local tourism and connections between communities.

The national recognition could also encourage more people to visit the Somerset route and learn about its history.

The story behind its name adds an unusual cultural dimension. Before the railway disappeared, strawberries from the Mendip Hills were transported along the line in substantial quantities. The fruit became closely associated with the railway and ultimately provided the name by which its modern incarnation is known.

The transformation also demonstrates how a community can preserve elements of local history without keeping infrastructure in its original form. The railway itself may have vanished, but its route and name continue to connect present-day visitors with the region’s agricultural and industrial past.

The Ramblers has also pointed to the wider importance of investment in Britain’s paths.

Since 2015, the organisation says it has received more than £26m in funding raised by players of the Postcode Lottery. According to the charity, this funding has supported efforts to protect and promote Britain’s paths and green spaces.

The organisation argues that well-maintained paths are not simply recreational amenities. They can provide people with opportunities to exercise, access nature, travel locally and engage with their communities.

The Strawberry Line’s victory reflects that broader understanding of what public paths can offer.

Its success is ultimately a story of reinvention. A railway that once carried passengers and agricultural produce has become a route for people travelling under their own power. The trains are gone, but the corridor remains part of the landscape, now serving a new generation.

For Amanda Jane Baldwin and the volunteers who have helped care for the route, the award is recognition of a place that has become woven into everyday community life.

For The Ramblers, meanwhile, the result provides a prominent example of the value of protecting and expanding access to Britain’s countryside.

The Strawberry Line may have begun life as a railway serving the strawberry trade, but its latest chapter is being written by walkers, cyclists, families and volunteers. Its selection as Britain’s favourite path shows that a route shaped by Britain’s industrial past can still have a significant place in the country’s future.

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