Yatton to Sandford on Strawberry Line

We’ll meet outdoors in the station car park for this ride.  The station has toilet and cafe facilities should you need them at the start or end of the ride.  Bring some change for pay & display car parking at the station: £1.40 for the day. Madi & Emma – we’re friendly and local and here to help more of us North Somerset women to get into bike riding. This ride today, from Yatton to Sandford, follows the Strawberry Line.  The Cheddar Valley Line was built in 1869 to connect the West Country’s strawberry fields to the rest of the UK. Running from Yatton through to Wells, it soon became known as The Strawberry Line because of the cargo the trains carried. The line closed to passengers in 1963 and a couple of years later to freight. Volunteers began converting the line for walking and cycling in 1983. Now the line is a mostly off-road, traffic-free, level route. It starts at the bottom of the car park at Yatton station, just a stone’s throw from the cafe, and you can follow it through the marshes to the foot of the Mendips, through the eerie Shute Shelve Tunnel and on to historic Axbridge and scenic Cheddar. We’ll meet at Yatton station car park for a warm up and a quick bike check. Then we’ll head out towards Sandford on the Strawberry Line, out & back. This is a gentle ride on a mostly flat, traffic free, quiet  route. The total length of the ride is around 8.5 miles. It’s perfect for beginners who want to do a bike ride with other women. We welcome newcomers to our rides.   It’s a good idea to bring some water and you may also want to bring a snack if you think your energy levels may need topping up along the way.  Wearing a helmet is advisable, though not essential. Please bring some money if you want to stop for refreshments at Yatton Station cafe afterwards. After a brief introduction, bike check and warm up, we will head off out of the station car park directly onto the Strawberry Line.  We will always ride at the pace of the slowest rider so no one is left behind.  Look forward to seeing you there!  Toilet facilities and cafe available at the station when you arrive and when we finish the ride. Route planned: http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_3442491.html Don’t forget…. Breeze are on a mission to spread the word about their rides, and need your help. If you introduce one friend who goes on to take part in a Breeze ride, you’ll receive a Breeze water bottle, introduce a second friend, you’ll be the proud owner of one of their swish Breeze Buffs, and introduce a third friend and Breeze will send you £15 of Love2Shop vouchers. Read the article on the homepage for more information.