New car-free Sandford link opened on Strawberry Line

The Strawberry Line runs between Yatton railway station and Station Road in Cheddar and is mostly car-free

A new off-road section of a cycling and footpath route has been opened in the Mendip Hills in North Somerset.

The Strawberry Line runs between Yatton railway station and Station Road in Cheddar and is mostly car-free.

A new 1km (0.62 mile) stretch of route has now been moved off busy roads near the villages of Sandford and Winscombe.

Known as as the Sandford Link, the route has been funded by the National Grid as part of the construction of a 400,000-volt substation in the village.

Sandford's new substation is part of a major upgrade to the county's grid, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It will be handling a "significant proportion" of the power generated by Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Power will be delivered directly to local homes via underground cables, reducing the number of overhead electricity pylons marring the appearance of the Mendip Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

The Strawberry Line loosely follows the track of the Cheddar Valley railway line, which closed in the mid-1960s

The new Sandford section of the Strawberry Line provides a safer link between Drove Way and the A368 Station Road, away from the busy Nye Road.

Steven Haskayne, from National Grid, said the link was a direct result of public consultation.

"North Somerset Council - has worked with us from the very early stages to ensure the Hinkley Connection project could be used to make a lasting difference to local people long after our works are completed," he said.

Councillor Peter Crew, from North Somerset Council, said officers had "worked tirelessly to make this happen".

"This will have a positive impact on the experience of thousands of people who visit the Strawberry Line every year," he said.