Outline of proposed Greenway from Wellington to Taunton
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.
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Sustainable transport initiatives in the coming years mean that more will be cycling from Wellington to Taunton,
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the canal corridor provides a level route separated from most traffic,
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its heritage and wildlife assets make it also ideal for recreational use,
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It will provide 6 miles where walkers and cyclists can exercise without traffic noise and fumes,
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it will link Taunton station and the new Wellington station for benefit of visitors
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links with other local community initiatives (Friends of the Grand Western Canal, the Wellington Green Corridor) will provide
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opportunities for business development along the route.
The necessity for a safe cycling route between Wellington and Taunton.
For the last decade, local campaigners have sought to establish an active travel link between these two towns. The Wellington Town Council and the former Taunton Deane Borough Council funded a feasibility study. This leaned heavily towards a route beside the busy A38, and this has gained momentum over the last three years. A protest rally was held in 2022 at which county councillors from all parties pledged to have construction underway by 2024. The matter is pressing especially as climate change futures demand that we all make real cuts in our CO2 emissions. Without a safe and attractive route between the two towns, residents will have no choice but to drive or use limited public transport.
Since 2022, the County Council funded a £50,000 feasibility study to consider all route options within the corridor bounded by the railway to the north and the M5 to the south. Their consultants will report in July 2023 but, in the meantime, cyclists endure the A38 and all its hazards. Although the A38 route has been studied intensively, this has only involved the section of the road from the Chelston Roundabout to the Stonegallows roundabout. No discussions have resolved the issues of crossing the A38 westbound, and crossing Taunton. On this short section of road alone, there are very many landowners.
The Grand Western Greenway, by comparison, offers a traffic-free route up to half a mile shorter than the current quickest option along the A38. It would be complete from station to station and at each end will have a number of links into the wider settlements(app 3). Unlike a track beside the A38 which will only be used by people who
have no choice, a Greenway will be used by cyclists of every kind including novices, families and for trips of every kind including work and leisure. In addition we have the added bonus of opening up a historical feature through our countryside to much wider public appreciation, as well as creating a project which individuals and local groups can
work at and support.
Grand Western Canal and its opportunities
The Somerset section of the Grand Western Canal linked mid-Devon to the River Tone, and opened in 1839 before finally closing in 1867. Much of the complex infrastructure remains along the river valley of the Tone. This includes lifts rather than locks, bridges under roads and an aqueduct over the River Tone. Much of the banking remains in places, although some areas have disappeared back into the landscape. Nevertheless, the canal corridor offers a Greenway route bounded by the Bristol to Exeter railway line to the north and the M5 to the south.
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For part of its length the canal bank is already followed by the West Deane Way. This is a popular and well-used long distance footpath in the corridor that meanders away from the canal alignment to follow the river where possible.
​From the perspective of a Greenway the terrain is flat, and the canal runs through open arable land passing close to the villages of Bradford on Tone and East Nynehead. The landscape is stunning, tranquil and rich in wildlife until the route enters the north west edge of Taunton from where the canal corridor reaches close to its centre.
The Friends of the Grand Western Canal have an ambition to establish a Heritage Trail on this route to preserve this significant historical travel route from which Wellington and Taunton benefitted, with a further goal to re-water a short section at the Taunton end to create a ‘park-and-glide’ into the town.
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Building a Greenway along this route would be completed in a series of useful stages starting from either Wellington to Bradford on Tone, or Taunton to Allerford.
