| Cheddar Valley line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | British Rail |
| History | |
| Opened | 1858 |
| Closed | 1963 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Old gauge | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) |
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, running between Yatton and Witham. It was opened in parts: the first section connecting Shepton Mallet to Witham, later extended to Wells, was built by the East Somerset Railway from 1858. Later the Bristol and Exeter Railway built their branch line from Yatton to Wells, but the two lines were prevented for a time from joining up. Eventually the gap was closed, and the line became a simple through line, operated by the Great Western Railway.
The line became known as The Strawberry Line because of the volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It closed in 1963. Sections of the former trackbed have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The southern section operates as a heritage railway using the name East Somerset Railway.