Last Thursday I rode from Cheddar to Congresbury on the Strawberry Line for a breakfast meeting.

It was a really easy and rewarding journey. So when I got back I was amazed to read this "Name and address supplied" criticism of the path in your letters column.

I don't know when your correspondent last went on the path but it is well maintained and the surface is excellent for cycle riding. It slightly pains me to say that it is better maintained and there has been much more investment in the part of the path in North Somerset, with continual upgrading of the surface and infrastructure.

There are no brambles at Shute Shelve and the tunnel now has lighting. The need to dismount between the A38 and Congresbury has long been removed.

So maybe your correspondent will have the decency to reveal their identity and admit how long it is since they walked or cycled the path. They have belittled the army of volunteers who have maintained this path down the years.

They are obviously affected by the proposed extension from Cheddar to Wells. The area needs this path, for safety, economic generation and to allow us reduce our dependency on car journeys.

If I have a meeting in Wells, about the same distance as Congresbury from Cheddar, I wouldn't consider using the planet-friendly way of using a bicycle due to the safety and terrain.

The advantage of using the route of the old railway is the lack of steep gradients. This is one reason for using the route of the line the other is the tourist potential.

I was amazed on a wet Thursday in April how many walkers and cyclist were using it for leisure pursuits.

Does your correspondent think they would use it so readily if it was just a Cheddar Valley Path?

It is important that the path follows the old railway line as closely as possible and on the current path the two places where it has to leave the line is a real disappointment.

Finally, the North Somerset stretch of the Strawberry Line shows how much the path would benefit the area economically. All along the route there was activity, a new retirement village at Sandford, Thatcher's Cider and tea rooms and public houses using the path to generate trade, in contrast to the current situation on the A371.

The path offers economic regeneration and safety for users provided it is not made useless by making people have to go on a main road.

Adrian Male

Silver Street

Cheddar