Friends of the Path

The Chard-Ilminster multi-use path is a valuable resource that is now in need of a helping hand, and that is where Green Ilminster’s latest project comes in.

No matter whether you are a wheeler or a walker the 5-mile Chard-Ilminster path has something for you. Appreciated by nature lovers, runners, cyclists, dog walkers and users of wheelchair and mobility scooters, the path follows the route of the former railway line, and passes WW2 fortifications and remnants of the Chard-Ilminster canal.

Part of Route 33 of the National Cycle Network, the path was opened in 2008 by the national charity Sustrans, working with Somerset County Council. It has become a popular traffic-free leisure and commuting route providing a safe alternative to the busy A358.

Financial constraints and insufficient maintenance have resulted in a deterioration of the path and its surroundings.

Our group clear the path of mud & debris, cut back encroaching vegetation, tackle litter and graffiti, campaign for repairs to the surface where needed and we hope to improve biodiversity along the route.

We have over 50 volunteers and run twice-monthly work parties, on the first Saturday of the month from 10am, and the third Tuesday from 2pm. We’re a fun, sociable group with wide interests. Get in touch if you’d like to help us look after the path.

For more information please email path@greenilminster.org.uk or you can join us via the Volunteering page.