Category: Greenway Information

  • The Greenway (proposed) Route

    The Greenway (proposed) Route

    In a perfect world, we could draw a line on a map and, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, build a beautiful path through the countryside to be enjoyed by all as they walk wheel and cycle between Wellington and Taunton.

    Of course, this is a far from perfect world and without that line on the map there is no starting point and nothing to which we and hundreds of others can aspire.

    In this post I want to talk about a route through the Tone Valley from Tonedale in Wellington to Taunton Station. In conjunction with Greenways and Cycleroutes Ltd and the renowned path builder John Grimshaw CBE, we have studied an outline route with some options.

    Our goal has always to do more than build a linear route between Wellington and Taunton. We want to connect several communities along the way and have mapped out possible routes to bring Wiveliscombe, Langford Budville, Milverton, Nynehead, Hillfarrance, Oake, Bradford on Tone, Bishops Hull and Norton Fitzwarren on to the main route through a series of ‘behind-the-hedge’ paths and quiet lanes. By connecting the Greenway to these communities, it will small communities to each other and to Wellington and Taunton in turn.

    Map showing connections from rural communities to the Greenway. The inset shows some of the route options to Musgrove Par Hospitaland Taunton College across Roughmoor.

    I can imagine a few sharp intakes of breath at the scope of the project, but we have to remember that one third of all journeys are done by active means and that these paths could improve the lives of a population in excess of 100,000 (Taunton Local Community Network – 74,000. Wellington and Wiveliscombe Local Community Network – 27,000 (Somerset Council))

    Many people want to create active travel routes. In Somerset there are campaigns everywhere, all with laudable goals to offer a traffic-free piece of infrastructure to serve the walker, wheeler, and cyclist. The Government is more committed to seeing this happen in England with the publication of a draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Although by no means perfect, it refers to the potential success of projects that are “coherent, connected, consistent and accessible to all” and should link to key destinations such as rail and bus stations, hospitals, and schools.

    It is hard to imagine a project that better fits this description than the Grand Western Greenway. If you want to see an interactive map of the route pictured above, see our website (below)

    Route

    Let us have a quick walk-though starting in Wellington. Bear in mind, this is entirely dependent on landowner permissions and planning permissions!

    Tonedale (phase 1)

    When Network build the Wellington Station starting in 2026, they will almost certainly build a ‘haul-road’ from Tonedale to the station site on the north side of the railway. They have agreed to leave that in place rather than remove it as they would normally. West of England Developments have planning application before Somerset Council to build a number of homes in this location, and their Active Travel Plan (every application has one) involves incorporating this haul-road into it. After the station, we would continue along the north side of the Nynehead boat lift to the Nynehead Road to connect with the existing public right of way to the East Nynehead Road.

    We would then hope to follow the route of the defunct Grand Western canal to Tone Green and continue along the north side of the railway to the Oake / Bradford on Tone Road. This is the only practical rail crossing which, while not perfect, could accommodate safe passage from the north to the south.

    We follow the railway along the south side to Allerford and on into Silk Mills. Wessex Water have given us permission to incorporate the access to their pumping station at Silk Mills to get us under the bridge. From there we would pick up the existing bridleway across Frieze Hill to Staplegrove Road.

    The route to the station already exists along Trenchard Way, although it would be desirable to incorporate the paths (upgraded) over Roughmoor to the hospital and College.

    From the station to the centre of town, a new route is already under construction as part of the Garden town investment and will see a much-improved bridge being installed (hopefully in 2026) at the Morrisons / Brewhouse juncture.

    Interesting? Raises more questions than it answers? Then why not join us at a Public Meeting in Wellington on 24th January 2 – 4pm. It will be in the 1st Wellington Scout HQ, 6 Fore Street (behind the Co-Op)

  • How we plan the route

    How we plan the route

    If you’ve walked the Greenway with us, you will know there are many options for route selection. It would be wonderful to simply follow the route of the Grand Western Canal, but the topography today is much different now to what it was in the 1840s. Agriculture uses enormous arable fields through which the canal route would cut striaght through the middle, and the parts of the canal that remain are too precious to degrade further.

    It is likely we will use many public rights of way which incorporate the canal route, but there are some parts where we have to move away from the river to overcome flooding problems.

    One major obstacle to overcome is the Bristol to Exeter railway line. the canal was built long before the railway, so Brunel put in a tunnel through the embankment to accommodate it. This remained for the best part of 100 years until it was back-filled in the 1970’s to strengthen the line for high-speed trains. Although very overgrown, we believe the portal still exists, but passage through the tunnel is a thing of the past.

    Of course, there are level crossings, but we would really like to use the same route through the embankment as the one used by the River Tone at Pickings Bridge. Is that possible? Who knows, but we hope to find out.

    Getting past the railway line is one thing, but avoiding the areas most prone to flooding is another. It seems likey our route may move to the north at Allerford and follow the line of the railway into Silk Mills, and then across Frieze Hill into the Firepool along Trenchard Way.

    At this stage we have no certainty so, to gather more information about the engineering and access issues, we are hoping to commission Greenways and Cycle Routes Ltd to survey the route and create recommendations about practical options. We have applied to Somerset Council for funding from the grant they received from Active Travel England for such work, and are hoping for a response fairly soon.

    If you would like to know more about the route and the countryside through which it will go, why not join us on one of our Walk the Greenway events

    In the meantime, we are very grateful to those people who help to support our work with dontaions. If you would like to become one of those, please use the link below and accept our grateful thanks.

  • Which way would you go?

    Which way would you go?

    Somerset Council is consulting about sustainable travel between Wellington and Taunton. If you were a walker, wheeler or a cyclist travelling for pleasure, leisure, work or anything else, which way would you choose to go?

    The choices are,

    • a path on either the north or south side of the A38 from the Chelston roundabout to the new Stonegallows roundabout.
    • a traffic-free greenway route along Grand Western Canal from Wellington (from Longforth Farm) to Taunton Station

  • Wellington Station and the Greenway

    Wellington Station and the Greenway

    The new railway station planned for Wellington makes a cycle route between the town and Taunton a real possibility.

    The new railwaystation planned for Wellington ‘boosts the argument’ for a cycle route between the town and Taunton.

    That’s the view of campaigners who want it to follow the grand western canal – rather than the busy A38 as had been originally looked at (see below). 

    At the weekend the first in regular guided walks – along the proposed route – took place so potential users could see the benefits. 

    The proposed new route would connect with the new Wellington train station, which the Government recently gave the go-ahead for. 

  • How other people do it…

    How other people do it…

    We are not the only people who campaign to achieve their ambition about how cycling could be a more pleasant experience in Somerset. The Strawberry Line has been under construction for a long time, with the most significant part between Yatton and Cheddar. More sections are underway in Somerset, and in March 2022, a new section betwen Wells and Dulcote was opened.

    The continuing work is managed by the Greenways and Cycleroutes in the form of John Grimshaw with whom our project has a strong relationship. John is the founder of Sustrans, and is the instigator and engineer that inspired the Bristol to Bath Cyclepath. He works with local contractors in a way that is sympathetic to the local environment, and which keeps costs to a level that is much more manageable than using large corporate organisations.

    This section has got to this stage in 11.5 days!

    Access for the farmer getting across his land has necessitated the construction which was designed by John and installed by the same contractor.

    The trackbed of the old railway is roughly at the level of the tracks on the digger, but nothing is lost as material is transferred from one section to another to fill in the dips.

    This section from Draycott is complete and has the first season of growth being managed by local volunteers who maintain the path.

    In the distance you can just about glimpse Wells Cathedral

    The Grand Western Green Association will adopt a similar approach to the Strawberry Line in that we hope to build in sections starting from Taunton to Silk Mills, and then from the Wellington Station through to the Nynehead Road. A phased approach to construction allows time for money to be raised, and for the concept to become deeply embedded in the minds of planners, volunteers and users alike.

  • What’s the purpose of a Greenway?

    What’s the purpose of a Greenway?

    Wellington is a substantial town 6 miles from the county town of Taunton. It is proposed to establish a predominantly traffic-free greenway between them along the route of the disused Grand Western Canal. Wellington will have a new railway station by 2025 which would mark the starting point, and it would end at Taunton Railway Station giving access to both town centres

    Sustainable transport initiatives in the coming years mean that more will be cycling from Wellington to Taunton,

    • the canal corridor provides a level route separated from most traffic,
    • its heritage and wildlife assets make it also ideal for recreational use,
    • It will provide 6 miles where walkers and cyclists can exercise without traffic noise and fumes,
    • it will link Taunton station and the new Wellington station for benefit of visitors
    • links with other local community initiatives (Friends of the Grand Western Canal, the Wellington Green Corridor) will provide opportunities for business development along the route.