Foot Trails

Foot Trails Hello, we're Foot Trails. One of England's best loved travel & walking companies.

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly”Van MorrisonWalking the coast is a joy. Dramatic, exhilara...
09/02/2025

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly”
Van Morrison

Walking the coast is a joy. Dramatic, exhilarating and refreshing. There’s something wonderful about the space where the land meets the sea. Coastal views, fresh salty air, the wash of the waves on the beach and the rich history and traditions of our seafaring ancestors (tales of smugglers, pirates and other, more legitimate, mariners abound!).

Spring is a wonderful time to visit the coast of South West England. In the cool, clear air, the views inland and out to sea seem to stretch even further. The landscapes are alive with colour: bright yellow gorse, pink and white tree blossoms and a rainbow pallet of spring flowers. The countryside teems with new life as returning migratory birds fill the air and newborn lambs, calves and foals start to appear in the fields and on the moor.

In our beautiful corner of England, there is a wonderful variety of coastline. From the rugged, rocky shores of Exmoor and north Somerset to the rolling downs and cliffs of south Dorset.

Did you know we now offer both of these unique coastal areas as Foot Trails trips?

Our Landscapes & Seascapes of Dorset take you on a journey through the creases and folds of the rolling landscape, catching glimpses of the sea as you walk before arriving at the beach to explore all things coastal. This is where the rolling downs of Wessex meet the coast with great drama, an 18 mile long barrier beach, and a story that traces back to the Jurassic.

In our NEW Wild Coast & Wild Moor trip on the north coast of Somerset, you journey from the dramatic rocky coastline of Exmoor, through steep-sided river valleys with tumbling white water, to the evocative and moody wide open space of Exmoor. Stories of our ancestors from Neolithic times, each step opens up new sights, sounds and experiences.

We love this variety of landscapes & seascapes. Immersing ourselves in the culture and history of the coast and coastal life; discovering characterful villages, hidden spots off the beaten path, old market towns and ancient monuments that tell of thousands of years of history.

If you’d like to experience coastal walking in England in spring, simply send us a message here on Facebook, we’d love to chat with you about your plans.

Happy Trails,

David

https://foottrails.co.uk/walking_holidays/coast-water/

‘The bluebell is the sweetest flowerThat waves in summer air;Its blossoms have the mightiest powerTo soothe my spirit's ...
05/02/2025

‘The bluebell is the sweetest flower
That waves in summer air;
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit's care.’
Emily Brontë

With spring starting to show its welcome face here in South West England, our thoughts are turning to spring walking. As the weather starts to warm and the first wildflowers emerge, we nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts are waiting with baited breath for one of England’s most anticipated spring displays: The profusion of bluebells in woodlands and hedgerows across the country.

Known in the past as lady’s nightcap, witches’ thimbles and (my personal favourite) cuckoo’s boots, these delicate, sweet-smelling blooms start to emerge from late March onwards until early May, forming incredible indigo-blue carpets across woodland floors.

They really are one of the highlights of spring. And there’s no better place to see them than in the UK. Great Britain is home to around half the world’s population of bluebells. They are a common site in many of our woodlands, especially those that are very old (over 400 years). So if you’re walking through swathes of these drooping blue flowers on one of our Foot Trails, you can be sure that you are treading on ancient ground. Who knows how many travellers have trodden these same pathways over the centuries?

Knowing the best places to see this seasonal spectacle is often down to local knowledge. Which secret little corner of ancient woodland is the perfect spot to see these wonderful flowers? The intense blue-indigo contrasting with the deep greens and browns of the forest. Iridescent patches lit up by shafts of light falling through the trees. All set to the backdrop of busy woodland birdsong.

We know what a wonderful experience this is and are keen to share these and other seasonal highlights with our guests. For us, it’s a quintessential part of walking in the English countryside. It’s not too late to book for a spring walking adventure. Simply visit our spring website page for inspiration or send us a message here on Facebook.

https://foottrails.co.uk/walking_holidays/refreshing-spring/

Spring is on the way! The days are getting brighter and amidst the wintry scenes the first flowers are emerging, cheerfu...
02/02/2025

Spring is on the way! The days are getting brighter and amidst the wintry scenes the first flowers are emerging, cheerful white snowdrops are making a welcome return to our woodlands, riverbanks, hedgerows and gardens.

Soon, the rest of the countryside will be awakening from its winter dormancy. Fields and hillsides that have been barren over winter will begin to sprout. Grasses will start to grow, creating lush carpets of green across the rolling hills of South West England. And it won’t take long before these vibrant landscapes start to buzz with life.

South West England boasts some of the most diverse and ecologically significant grasslands in the UK. Many of them are protected conservation areas (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), and some are even designated ‘unimproved grasslands’, meaning they have never been ploughed or reseeded. These important landscapes are a vital haven for flora and fauna.

They also make for wonderful walking. Especially in spring. Primroses, daisies, bluebells, and orchids are just some of the wildflowers that start to paint the fields with splashes of color from March onwards. These blooms attract important pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and moths as well as a wide range of migratory birds returning from warmer climes. This is the season when the air starts to echo with the calls of skylarks, lapwings, and meadow pipits (to name just a few). The sight of birds hovering above the fields and hopping among the grasses and flowers is one of the many joys of walking in grasslands in spring.

The rolling chalk grasslands of South West England hold a special place for Alison and myself. They are our home, and it’s why they feature in so many of our trips. ‘Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing’ wrote John Milton in his Song on May Morning, we wholeheartedly agree.

There is still to book for a spring walking and hiking adventure in South West England. If you’d like to discover our top trips for spring, visit the spring page on our website. Or if you’d like to get started planning a spring tour, simply send us a message here on Facebook.

Happy Trails
David

https://foottrails.co.uk/walking_holidays/refreshing-spring/

David and I have been continuing our walks in The Cotswolds this week, trying out new trails and routes. It’s been wonde...
29/01/2025

David and I have been continuing our walks in The Cotswolds this week, trying out new trails and routes. It’s been wonderful having the time to explore this region that we know so well (and which never fails to surprise us with new views and experiences).

The Saturday just gone, It was a perfect winter's day.

Frost glistened on the grass in the early morning sunshine. The skies were bright blue and there was barely any wind.

Our drop-off service took David and I up to a hill in a Cotswolds estate. We had 12 miles ahead of us as we set off on a research trip for what we hoped would be a new Foot Trail.

The winter landscape held a serene calmness. Our eager chatter the only noise.

A Cotswolds stone wall made a great spot to rest! We crossed stone stiles and walked deeper into the English countryside.

Our exploration was rewarded with a couple of wildlife sightings. A muntjac deer stood by a woodland; a green woodpecker flew up to our right and into a tree. Buzzards called shrilly overhead, and a large one took off from the fence close to us.

Soon, our lunchtime pub beckoned and we enjoyed a welcome drink, lunch and break.

As we descended the hill after lunch, snowdrops flowered in the hedgerow.

Our walk led us to a beautiful village far from the tourist trail. Here, Cotswolds stone cottages and houses stood to be admired and a pink tinge to the sky signified the approach of dusk.

The silence was broken by dozens of crows calling and flying home to roost in the treetops.

With our hearts happy and our legs a little tired we descended the hill, seemingly stepping into the view. And lights from our Cotswolds stone country pub soon twinkled in front of us.

We arrived back to our room, put the kettle on for a mug of tea and looked back over our photos from the day.

Happy trails
Alison

If you are interested in walking the Cotswolds and would like an example itinerary and brochure or more information please email us at [email protected]

David and I are out & about in the Cotswolds, exploring new routes and trails.It's so good to be back in the Cotswolds.D...
26/01/2025

David and I are out & about in the Cotswolds, exploring new routes and trails.

It's so good to be back in the Cotswolds.

David grew up here and several of my cousins and an aunt and uncle farm here. So it's very familiar ground.

We started today's 10-mile walk with an explore of a new rural food hall! Here we stocked up on filled rolls and hand cooked crisps for lunch. The pork pies on the butcher's counter looked amazing! We resisted the cakes and pastries....

Soon we were out amongst green pastures and fields. Wildlife and nature felt close. In the woods we spotted deer and we heard several woodpeckers.

Today's walk was interesting and varied. We walked through several stunning Cotswold villages where tourists do not tread. Here we admired large manor houses with smoke furling out the chimney tops and smaller English country cottages. Playing a game of choosing which one we'd live in!

It is fun to be off the beaten track and oh so peaceful.

Us English always like to talk about the weather! It is January. Rain was the picture until lunch time and then the cloud cleared and out came the sun. Everything instantly glowed in the sunshine. The cream coloured Cotswolds stone, the stained glass windows in the 12th century church.

We paused in the porch of an ancient church to enjoy our lunch, mulling over the thousands of pairs of feet who had walked before us over the centuries.

It is difficult to sum up 10 miles in a few sentences, but as the miles passed we chatted and decompressed.

Soon, as dusk was falling we saw the welcome sight of our destination village for the night. Twinkling lights greeted us at our country inn and in the sky the first stars were appearing.

The pedometer told us we had walked 10 miles, 25,000 steps so we had no guilt tucking into our beef bourguignon and glass of red wine. We'll sleep well tonight.

Alison

‘In Europe, the best wool is English and in England the best wool is Cotswold’ (12th century saying)The Cotswolds needs ...
23/01/2025

‘In Europe, the best wool is English and in England the best wool is Cotswold’
(12th century saying)

The Cotswolds needs no introduction. Famed for its rolling green countryside, beautiful villages, vibrant market towns and golden Cotswolds stone cottages. It’s the quintessential view of England.

But the reason both the landscapes and the buildings look the way they do can be largely traced back to an industry that has been at the heart of this region since time immemorial: Wool

The wool industry in the Cotswolds boomed in the Middle Ages. At this time, wool was the single most important industry in England, and the Cotswolds was one of the most important wool trading centres. This status brought with it a lot of wealth. Rich local merchants spent huge sums on lavish town and country houses. They also made large donations to the church, resulting in the magnificent wool churches we see up and down the region in ancient wool towns like Chipping Campden, Northleach and Cirencester (all highlights on our Cotswolds tours, naturally 🙂).

But it’s not just the grand buildings that owe their existence to wool. More humble structures like weavers cottages and mills were also originally built to serve the industry. Many of the picturesque villages can also trace their roots back to sheep and wool.

Wool is everywhere you look in the Cotswolds. Which is why we weave it into our trips and trails. The walks we curate for this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape) showcase what we feel is the best and most beautiful of the Cotswolds. Treading quiet, idyllic paths, far from the crowds, to explore the most beautiful landscapes, views and vistas. Wandering past honey-coloured stone cottages, admiring the pretty gardens, standing in centuries old market halls almost sensing the hustle and barter of trade in years gone by. All the while staying in authentic, cosy Cotswolds inns that provide the perfect rest and relaxation after a good day’s walking. It’s the perfect way to experience rural England.

If you’d like to hike the Cotswolds and explore this unique landscape, simply visit our website or send us a message here on Facebook.

https://foottrails.co.uk/walking_holidays/the-cotswolds/

The ninth century may have been a long time ago, but as any fan of medieval history (or Bernard Cornwall’s Last Kingdom ...
19/01/2025

The ninth century may have been a long time ago, but as any fan of medieval history (or Bernard Cornwall’s Last Kingdom series) will know, it was a crucial period in English history. It was the time of the Anglo-Saxons vs. the Danes, and the time of the seven kingdoms that would, eventually, go on to form the realm of England. It was also a time of fighting. An awful lot of fighting.

Anglo-Saxon history runs like thread through our inn to inn trail Wessex Ancient Kingdom. Reflecting David and Alison’s love of history, stories and beautiful landscapes, this Foot Trail traces the story of Wessex and, arguably, its ‘greatest’ ruler Alfred the Great.

It starts in Wiltshire, the scene of many a battle between the Anglo-Saxons and Danes, and a county that played an important role in key moment’s of Alfred’s life. The stunning Alfred’s Tower, for example, was built in the 1700s near the site where Alfred is believed to have rallied his troops before his decisive victory over the Danes. A little further away lie a string of villages and churches, again believed to be points where Alfred rested, prayed and rallied his troops en route to battle.

As your trail weaves down into Dorset, through rolling chalklands, the landscape owes much to the Anglo-Saxons. The bustling market town of Shaftesbury (and its abbey), for example, was founded by Alfred as one of the fortified towns he created across his kingdom in the late 800s AD. Then there’s the town of Sherborne and its magnificent abbey, which is thought to be one of the most important places in King Alfred’s time and where two of his brothers are said to be buried.

Finally, Wessex Ancient Kingdom ends at the edge of the Somerset Levels, a beautiful, flat and mysterious land. Back in Alfred’s day, it was a marshy inland sea punctuated by islands of dry land where villages and communities were established. Isolated and difficult to navigate, it proved to be the perfect refuge for Alfred as he retreated from the Danes, gathered his troops, and prepared for the greatest battle of his life….

Wessex Ancient Kingdom provides a fascinating glimpse of old England, taking you through an ancient, beautiful landscape in the footsteps of King Alfred the Great himself. If you’d like to know more about this fascinating Foot Trail, visit our website or send us a message here on Facebook.

https://foottrails.co.uk/holidays/wessex-ancient-kingdom/

Wessex… an ancient, beautiful and utterly rural part of South West England. Once one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms t...
15/01/2025

Wessex… an ancient, beautiful and utterly rural part of South West England. Once one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that made up England in the Middle Ages, this region is steeped in history. It’s where Alfred the Great ruled, battled and laid the foundations that led to the very idea of England. It’s also where the idea of Foot Trails took shape.

Alison and I started exploring this area nearly 30 years ago and were immediately struck by it's beauty, and peaceful escape from modern life. The desire to share with others the beauty of nature, and the benefits of walking, led to creation of Foot Trails. Our first walks were here in Wessex and it's still as close to our hearts today as it was all those years ago.

If I had to sum up Wessex Ancient Kingdom in a single word, it would be ‘landscape’. It’s a region that is amazingly diverse. Rolling green hills of chalk grasslands, sweeping 360° views with not a single road or electricity pylon in sight. Shady, intimate river valleys with tiny villages, little changed since they were first recorded in the Domesday book. Norman and Saxon churches, romantic ruined castles - quintessential ‘Old England’ at its best.

Then there’s the one of the region’s most stunning Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the Cranborne Chase. Offering views over classic Thomas Hardy country: patchworks of small fields with villages, hamlets and churches dotting the landscape. A place where you could easily imagine bumping into one of Hardy’s characters - Bathsheba Everedene on her way to market, Michael Henchard going about his mayoral duties or Gabriel Oak tending to his sheep.

But the Anglo-Saxons are never far below the surface in this part of the world, tales of Alfred the Great weave their way into every footstep through the countryside, villages, towns, castles and abbeys of this beautiful corner of England. The unique mix of unchanged landscapes, ancient history, and tranquility immediately captivated Alison and myself, sowing the seed of Foot Trails as we know it today.

If you’d like to experience the magic of Wessex Ancient Kingdom, visit our website or simply send us a message here on Facebook.

https://foottrails.co.uk/holidays/wessex-ancient-kingdom/

David

An interesting article from the New York Times, listing South West England as the number one place to visit in 2025 (top...
11/01/2025

An interesting article from the New York Times, listing South West England as the number one place to visit in 2025 (topping a list of 52 locations). We couldn’t agree more 🙂

The article lists Bath and Stourhead as two of the main attractions of the region. And with this year being the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, the stunning Georgian city will be offering even more cultural events to mark the occasion. So 2025 is definitely a great time to visit. And with both Bath and Stourhead taking a starring role in a number of our trips, who better to show you the sights than Foot Trails?!

If you’d like to experience the beauty and culture of Bath and the grandeur and horticultural delights of Stourhead this year, simply send us a message here on Facebook.

You can read the New York Times article here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/travel/places-to-travel-destinations-2025.html

Happy New Year and all the very best for 2025 from all of us here at Foot Trails.This is a time of year that we love. Th...
09/01/2025

Happy New Year and all the very best for 2025 from all of us here at Foot Trails.

This is a time of year that we love. There’s always a great sense of energy and anticipation as we help guests arrange their walking adventures for 2025. The feeling of new beginnings and fresh adventures is hard to beat.

It’s also a time of reflection as we look back at the past year and the memories we created—helping our guests experience their own memorable trips in the English countryside and being out & about ourselves, meeting guests, checking existing routes and exploring new trails. 2024 was a great year and we’ve plenty to be looking forward to in 2025.

We have a BRAND NEW Foot Trail in north Somerset: Wild Coast & Wild Moor. We’ve also REFRESHED our Complete Cotswolds walking & hiking holiday, adding new trails and inns so that our guests can experience even more of the timeless beauty of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape)—from the northern tip of the Cotswolds to the stunning Georgian city of Bath in the south.

We’re also launching King Arthur’s Trail, a NEW journey through the wonderfully rural landscape of Somerset and Dorset, a region shaped by the myths and legends of King Arthur and his knights.

We’ll be telling you more about these NEW and REFRESHED Foot Trails here on Facebook over the coming weeks. We can’t wait to hear what you think.

But for now, the days are getting longer; spring is just around the corner. New life and new adventures await, and we can’t wait to welcome you to our beautiful corner of England in 2025.

Browse our 2025 brochure for inspiration, or visit our website to explore our walking trips & tours and find your next adventure.

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/434938850/

At Foot Trails, we’re passionate about walking in South West England. It’s our home patch, and there’s nothing we love m...
27/12/2024

At Foot Trails, we’re passionate about walking in South West England. It’s our home patch, and there’s nothing we love more than sharing the paths less travelled with our guests from all over the world.

We’ve lots to be excited about 2025, with NEW trips, trails and inns that we’ll be launching. And we’re already getting the new year off to a great start with a NEW walking holiday for 2025: Wild Coast & Wild Moor.

This inn to inn trail takes you from the rugged coast of North Somerset to the wild heart of Exmoor. It’s everything you don’t expect of South West England; heather-covered moors, prehistoric stones, rocky rivers where the white water tumbles, and the coast - rugged, steep, wooded and remote. It’s both dramatic and beautiful.

Weaving from pebble beaches echoing with the wash of the sea, through steep-sided river valleys to the open wild moor with its big views and coastal backdrop. Ancient fishing villages, Victorian resorts, prehistoric standing stones and tucked-away farming communities are just some of the highlights of this fascinating trip.

We've long been drawn to the rugged beauty of this little corner of Somerset, and we’re very excited to be now sharing it with our guests.

If you’d like to find out more and request a brochure, simply visit our website or send us a message here on Facebook:

https://foottrails.co.uk/holidays/wild-coast-and-wild-moor/

The Christmas holidays are about to begin and we’re looking forward to some restful days with friends and family. We hop...
23/12/2024

The Christmas holidays are about to begin and we’re looking forward to some restful days with friends and family. We hope you are too.

With the winter solstice just gone (21st December), the days are now officially getting longer, and we’re looking forward to the slow return of spring breathing life back into the countryside here in the South West of England.

Our office will be closed from 24 December to 26 December (inclusive), however our trip consultants will be available from 27 December onwards (including the weekend), so please do send us an email or message here on Facebook if you would like more information on any of our walking trips.

On a fittingly festive note, we thought we’d share with you some photos and words from Foot Trails team member Emma, who, in the pursuit of some traditional festive cheer, went for an evening wander around the historic market town Sherborne:

‘Twas the week before Christmas…' and I had a hankering for some festive cheer and Christmas carols. And what better place to find that than at a carol concert held in the magnificent Sherborne Abbey?'

You can read about the concert and Emma's winter wander around Sherborne on the Foot Trails blog here:
https://foottrails.co.uk/christmas-in-sherborne/.

May we take this opportunity to wish you all festive cheer, good tidings and a happy New Year.

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone!...
14/12/2024

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to shew an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Famous regency novelist Jane Austen wasn’t just a gifted writer, she was also a keen walker. So it’s no surprise that this fondness for perambulation (🙂) often found its way into her novels.

Many of her heroines caused consternation amongst their peers by striding for miles through the countryside in South West England. In Pride and Prejudice, the waspish Miss Bingley may have disapproved of Elizabeth Bennet’s habit of walking, but we at Foot Trails certainly don’t!

Jane Austen has strong ties to the South West, and Bath, in particular, having lived in the country city for five years in the early 1800s. Today, it’s still easy to imagine Ms Austen meandering through the well-preserved streets of Bath, passing by the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge or the Assembly Rooms. It’s one of the reasons why we love Bath so much and why it’s one of our favourite places to start and finish a good day’s hiking in and around the River Avon Valley.

Whenever I can, I try to get out and spend a few hours meandering next to the still water, cocooned by trees and wooded valleys, taking in the sights and the sights and sounds of wildlife—coots, moorhens, swans and ducks, not to mention countless other birds flitting from branch to branch above my head. Once or twice, I’ve even been lucky enough to see the bright blue flash of a kingfisher speeding past. On cool spring evenings, I love walking past the colourful, cosy barges on the canal, wood burners warming those inside and spreading the wonderful smell of woodsmoke through the air.

Arriving on foot in Bath puts the perfect finish on the day. Walking down from the wooded hills gives you stunning views of the city. As I wander past some of its most well-known landmarks, I like to think that I’m seeing the same sights that Jane Austen saw when she lived here in the 1800s 🙂

Now is the perfect time to book for a refreshing spring adventure in this wonderful corner of England. To find out more simply message us on Facebook.

I've been walking in The Cotswolds all my life and yet I'm still finding new paths and places to explore, sometimes in a...
08/12/2024

I've been walking in The Cotswolds all my life and yet I'm still finding new paths and places to explore, sometimes in areas I thought I knew well. This past week I headed to an area just a few miles from where I grew up. Under a wintry pastel sky with a less than favourable forecast I laced up my boots and struck out to explore.

A narrow lane led me steeply down to a ford, the water deep, I was thankful for the ancient clapper bridge that crossed the stream. A white egret startled by my presence scuttled away before gaining flight.

Crossing the rolling wolds, a landscape that has been inhabited since at least Bronze-age times, I found myself strolling into a remote Cotswolds village. Charming cottages set around the green, dressed with its Christmas tree in anticipation of the upcoming festivities.

The sheep grazed the meadow beneath the perfectly proportioned manor house, a scene unchanged for centuries. I plunged through the woodland and happened upon two happy pigs foraging the ground looking for hidden gems.

As I arrived at the ridge the wind was quickening, the weather was on the change just as forecast. Red Kites (birds of prey) danced on the gusty winds, swooping low to check on me as I passed. Stunning views before me, descending the hill, the end of my trail was in sight.

Strolling into this medieval market town the glow of the fire through the window lured me in, time to sit beside the fire and refresh just as many a pilgrim may have done before me.

A day hiking on the 'Journey Across The Cotswolds' trail, by David

This Autumn I’ve been lucky enough to be exploring new paths and trails which form a NEW inn to inn trail (can’t wait fo...
04/12/2024

This Autumn I’ve been lucky enough to be exploring new paths and trails which form a NEW inn to inn trail (can’t wait for you to all see!).

It felt great to be out on the trails again in this part of the world, and in my favourite season too. It’s an area I’ve wanted to share with our guests for a long time—rugged, dramatic and very beautiful. The landscape here always takes my breath away with its striking coastal vistas, intimate river valleys and wild moorland. There are lots of fascinating tales and history to discover, too, as well as some wonderful inns to stay overnight. I can’t wait to unveil this new trip very soon. But until then, I couldn’t resist sharing some photos with you from my most recent trip. 🙂

David

We’ve been talking a lot about spring here at Foot Trails HQ as we’re helping many of our guests plan their spring walki...
01/12/2024

We’ve been talking a lot about spring here at Foot Trails HQ as we’re helping many of our guests plan their spring walking adventures. All of which got me thinking back to a brilliant walk I did along the coast in the south west last spring. It really stuck in my mind and felt like a proper sunny spring day, so I thought I’d share it here on Facebook.

As I arrived at my startpoint, I immediately knew I was by the coast. In fact, I’d have known this even if I’d had had my eyes shut. The wind was blowing in off the sea, bringing with it the smell of the ocean. Waves were crashing against the rocks, sending salty spray up into the air, and gulls were wheeling and shrieking above my head, presumably on the lookout for some unguarded fish and chips.

It was all very familiar but also very exhilarating. Because I knew I was in for an adventure—with big skies and a landscape that would take my breath away (literally and figuratively 🙂). As I moved through the countryside, I was delighted by the bursts of colour I saw—white hawthorn lining the narrow path, contrasting sharply with the dark skeletons of the still-leafless trees. In fact, one of the things I love about spring by the coast is that the landscape is muted but still really beautiful. The views in all directions were spectacular, a patchwork of farmland to my left, the sea shimmering off to the horizon on my right, and cliff after cliff stretching out in front of and behind me.

The paths are less frequented at this time of year, which meant that I only met a few other walkers out on the trail. The sunshine was a welcome reminder that spring was underway. The first small fishing port I visited, I even dared to sit outside for a coffee and a slice of cake, letting the sun warm my face. I think it was my first al fresco ‘meal’ of the year.

Tempting as it was to stay and soak up the rays, I kept walking, past thatched cottages and back out onto the path. The trail took me inland and out, through shaded woodlands and villages that look like they’d clung to the coast for centuries.

When I reached my destination, I was windswept but very happy. And, much like the gulls that accompanied me on this walk, I was also on the lookout for some fish and chips!
Emma

Now is the perfect time to book for a spring walking and hiking adventure in South West England. If you’d like more information, simply send us a message on Facebook.

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Our Story

Hello, We're Alison Howell’s Foot Trails One of England's best loved regional walking & travel companies. We’re a small, family company who are an expert authority in walking in South West England, and we can completely custom made & craft your Foot Trail walking experience.

Our Founder Alison Howell is a farmer’s daughter, who started Foot Trails in 2002 because of a frustration with the lack of authenticity in British walking experiences.

So, she decided to make her own.

Originating the routes and trails using local knowledge, hand selecting places for guests to stay and delivering first class customer service at every step.