Local footpath enhanced by quarry company

A long-distance footpath connecting to Frome has been enhanced through a donation from a local quarry.

The East Mendip Way runs from the Bishop’s Palace in Wells through the northern edge of Shepton Mallet (intersecting with the Windsor Hill Greenway), all the way to Frome town centre.

A crucial spur from the route, which runs along the Egford Brook in the Vallis Vale west of Frome, was recently closed off to the public to allow repairs to be undertaken.

This path has now reopened after being resurfaced by Heidelberg Materials, using materials from its nearby Whatley Quarry – with additional enhancements being made to increase biodiversity and improve the experience for dog-walkers.

Heidelberg Materials (which holds a major resurfacing contract with Somerset Council) carried out the work with support from the Environment Agency (EA), Natural England and The Wild Trout Trust.

The repairs saw stone from Whatley Quarry used to create a more stable surface alongside the brook, protecting the path from further erosion – especially near the brook’s confluence with the Mells River.

To improve the river habitat for fish and reduce the risk of erosion, new features have been installed to control the brook’s flow – with designated “dog-dipping” areas being created to allow man’s best friend to safely paddle.

Numerous trees along the riverbank have been coppiced to strengthen the bank, with the material being reused wherever possible to protect the river and provide fish and invertebrate habitats.

Alex Hemming, principal landscape architect at Heidelberg Materials UK, said, “We know that many people use the footpath to walk their dogs and dog-dipping areas have been created to help reduce further erosion of the riverbank, without preventing four-legged users of the path from accessing the water.”

Heidelberg has plans to install information boards about the riverbank and the wildlife that call it home.

This improvement to the East Mendip Way provides a smoother connection through to the village of Great Elm, where walkers and cyclists can pick up the Colliers Way active travel route to Radstock (part of National Cycle Network route 24).

The Colliers Way ends at Bucklers Bridge, where the Frome’s Missing Links campaign completed around one mile of safe, off-road cycle paths as far as Elliots Lane in April 2025.

The group is currently working to secure landowner consent and funding to deliver the final northern ‘missing link’, which will run from Elliots Lane to Coalash Lane with a safe crossing over the A362.

A spokesperson for the group said, “We have prepared a report into ‘phase four’ which sets out an ideal route for the whole of the gap between the current end of the path at Whatcombe Fields/ Spring Gardens and Great Elm.

“This is being used to present to potential large funders such as the National Lottery or Highways England. We have worked with Greenways and Cycle Routes on these plans and made the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust aware of them.

“Phase four will have to include the crucial crossing of the A362, which will be an expensive construction project. We also need to cross the Mells River, and probably Coalash Lane and Jacks Lane.

“We are now seeking a licence from Network Rail to take the route alongside the freight line here. This line connects with the quarries just outside Frome.

“Taking our route alongside the line would mean the costs of the route could be kept down and the gradients would be gentle.

“It will be difficult to find funding for the major construction projects involved in this section.

“However, we will continue to work as volunteers to do as much as we can, while always remaining on the look-out for potential funding.”

Further information on this route, as well as the southern ‘missing link’ towards Longleat, can be found by visiting www.fromesmissinglinks.org.uk.

Picture Credit: Daniel Mumby