Tag: taunton

  • 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)

  • Biggest employer in Somerset supports the Grand Western Greenway

    Biggest employer in Somerset supports the Grand Western Greenway

    The Chief Executive and Chief Nurse of Somerset NHS Trust have pledged their support for the Greenway.

    Somerset NHS Foundation trust employs more people in Somerset than anyone else. In this video, Hayley Peters and Peter Lewis discuss the benefits for the organisation,for their colleagues employed across multiple sites in Taunton and Wellington including Musgrove Park Hospital, and for their patients.

    In this video they speak with Charles Biscoe, the lead director of the Greenway project, about these benefits. Charles later discusses the next few stages of the monumental task ahead of us.

    Chief Nurse and Chief Executive of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust discuss the Greenway

    Walk the Greenway

    We had a walk planned for May, but this is now moved on into June. The next conducted walk from Wellingon to Taunton will be on 21st June, and is well worth coming along for. It gives a real look at the attractions of having an Active Travel Route through the countryside as opposed to one alongside the A38. 

    It doesn’t follow the exact route as we have to follow public rights of way, and because we are not entirely sure of exactly what the route will be. There are many negotiations and studies to be done before that time. Charles will lead the walk, and will talk a lot about the local history of the area including the growth and decline of the Grand Western Canal, from whom we borrowed part of our name.

  • Gideon Amos MP (Taunton and Wellington) dropped by…

    Gideon Amos MP (Taunton and Wellington) dropped by…

    Gideon Amos dropped by when we were doing our fist promotional stall in Taunton this week with news about Wellington Station. It is by no means a done-deal, and so much of the Greenway is dependent on it being built.

  • Greenway progress report

    Greenway progress report

    Wellington – phase 1

    This illustration of the new Wellington station was provided by Network Rail as part of the planning application for the recently approved housing development. It is important to note that this is purely a representation and not the final design.

    Nevertheless, if we assume we are looking at the south side (i.e. the Wellington side) and the land to the north is open country, Network Rail will be building a haul road to facilitate construction. We aren’t quite sure where it will join the road network, but we are confident it will run from the Longforth Bridge over the line, and alongside the track to this point.

    It has been communicated to us that Network Rail has decided not to dismantle the road, which is the standard procedure. A development firm interested in the land on the northern side has committed to improving the road and integrating it into the area to establish a direct travel connection between the housing and the town.

    We have an agreement with the owners of the Nynehead Boat Lift to have access around the lift out onto the Nynehead Road. There are some details to iron out about further access, but we may have come very close to establishing a link from Longforth to the Nynehead Road. The next part will be from there to Nynehead, thus establishing a traffic-free route between the village and Wellington.

    The Taunton End

    For those of you who have walked the walk with us, you will know that the path aims to cross the southern boundary of the Frieze Hill Community Orchard along the public bridleway to Staplegrove Road, next to Turner’s Allotments.

    We had a very constructive meeting with representatives from the Orchard and the Allotments to discuss the nature of the path, the way it is constructed, the types of fencing we would use, and future maintenance. I think it is fair to say we were able to answer their questions in a way that alleviated any concerns they may have had.

    As we reported recently, Taunton Town Council has given us their support in writing as we begin to discuss our aspirations with the public rights of way team at Somerset Council. We appreciate we have further discussions to have with homeowners and other stakeholders, but we see some real progress in establishing a route through to the Silk Mills Road.

    Walk the Greenway

    New dates are on our website to Walk the Greenway in June, July, and August. If you haven’t done so, have a look and see if it is for you. 8.5 miles of flat walking taking about 4 hours, followed by a very nice bus trip back to Wellington. Details here

    Feasibility Studies

    When planning a route such as this, we will rely on the expertise of others to a large extent. Our partnership with Greenways and Cycle Routes Ltd is one such example.

    John Grimshaw, the man on the left in the image, is the founder and director of Sustrans. He is credited with establishing the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path and numerous others throughout the country. A civil engineer by profession, John is featured in the newest section of the Strawberry Line leading to Wells. Together with Caroline Levitt, he leads Greenways and Cycle Routes and has welcomed us as one of their partners.

    We plan to commission these studies to provide more certainty to the route and identify obstacles. Somerset Council has received a £400,000 grant from Active Travel England for route development, and we will apply to them for funding, but there is no guarantee of success.

    Nevertheless, conducting a campaign incurs expenses. While we have received generous support from a few organizations (Wellington Town Council, Taunton Town Council, and Somerset Community Fund), we constantly require additional funds to sustain our efforts.

    We appreciate any donation, regardless of its size, as a sign of the genuine support we have received from our supporters, both currently and in the future.

  • Taunton Town Council supports the Greenway

    Taunton Town Council supports the Greenway

    The Council had a full meeting on Monday, 9th April, the Council were asked to consider a proposal to support the Grand Western Greenway.

    Councillors were told that the Grand Western Greenway Project aims to establish a greenway between Taunton Station and the proposed Wellington Station directly connecting the two towns linking with smaller communities along the route.

    Councillors were asked, as the landowner, in co-operation with The Committee of the Frieze Hill Community Orchard Group and Turner’s Allotments, to support the necessary permissions required to upgrade the Right of Way (T33/12) running alongside Turner’s Allotments and the Community Orchard.

    It was agreed to support this important active travel initiative. Councillors resolved to write a formal letter to the Grand Western Greenway Association affirming their support.

    Deputy Leader of Taunton Town Council, Cllr Martin Straus said “Embracing sustainable active travel projects not only promotes healthier lifestyles but also fosters a stronger sense of community and environmental stewardship. Through initiatives that prioritise walking, cycling, and public transport, we’re paving the way for greener, more inclusive communities where everyone can thrive”

    We are Walking the Greenway (again!)

    Now the weather is clearing up a bit, we are back on the Greenway trail again. If you haven’t done so already (and even if you have), why not join us on Saturday, 20th April to Walk as much of the Greenway starting from Wellington and finishing at Staplegrove Road in Raunton.

    We’ll be following the proposed route of the Greenway from Wellington to Taunton, as far as footpaths allow. Get up close and personal and learn more about the plans.The terrain is flat and covers an overall distance of 8 miles, finishing at Staplegrove Road in Taunton. We’ll be meeting at the rear entrance of Pritex (Relyon) at 9:30 and finishing at roughly 2:30, with a break at Bradford Bridge – snacks essential!

  • Somerset Council supports the Greenway

    Somerset Council supports the Greenway

    It has been an interesting end to 2023 for the Grand Western Greenway. We held our inaugural meeting 12 months ago and set the following objectives for the year which felt pretty stretching at the time:

    1. Recruit 250 supporters over the next six months
    2. Engage with two landowners and negotiate a written commitment
    3. Participate in the Sustainable Travel Between Wellington and Taunton study commissioned by Somerset Council
    4. Raise £1500
    5. Create publicity material to promote the campaign
    6. Participate in one promotion event such as the Wellington Pop-Up shop

    We described the first year as one in which we wanted to make friends with people, and we have certainly done that! Let’s look at those objectives, and maybe you can decide how we’ve done.

    1. Recruit 259 supporters. We have over 400 people subscribed to the campaign, and have recruited businesses ranging from small CICs to the largest employer in Somerset. Somerset NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board as provider and commissioner recognise the enormous benefit to be had from ready access to nature and exercise. Do you reckon we can move that up to 1000 people this year?
    2. We are actively engaged with two landowners, both of whom are having realistic and positive discussions with us about how they can best support the Greenway. There is a long way to go, but engagement and commitment are our touchstones for 2024.
    3. We have participated in the unusual Somerset Council study. I say unusual because it came to a conclusion that they don’t seem to support themselves. That was that the Council should build a path alongside the A38. This is despite it costing at least four times as much as a countryside path, is generally unpopular with all but a small group of travellers, and starts a mile from Wellington town centre and ends at least another mile from Taunton town centre. The Council acknowledges that they would be very unlikely to build such a path and therefore fully support the community-led Greenway. This support is extended to any number of Parish and Town Councils, as well as receiving the enthusiastic backing of County Councillors across the political spectrum.
    4. We have raised in excess of £1500 pounds through the generosity of Taunton Town 
    5. Richard Huish College have taken the Greenway on as a project for their A level art and design students to develop the materials to promote the campaign. They have received their brief from us, and have a deadline to complete in time for our last objective….
    6. We have the Pop-Up shop in Wellington Fore Street booked for a week in April!