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  • Trips & Tours
    • The Cotswolds
    • Coastal Hikes
    • Land of Kings
    • Heritage and Gardens
    • Family & Friends Groups
    • Events: Group Walks
    • All Trips
  • The Howell Way
    • The Howell Way
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Copy of Testimonial May 2025 Cotswolds(1)

By Emma Surridge / July 1, 2025

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On our journal

May Day: A Celebration of Renewal

“We’ve been rambling all this nightAnd some part of the day,And now returning back againWe have brought you a branch

Wonderful words from our guests

We’re always thrilled to hear from our guests when they are out on the trails, exploring the different regions of

Foraging wild garlic in spring

We’ve been treated to some wonderful bluebell displays these past weeks, and while the delicate indigo blooms may be starting

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“We’ve been rambling all this night And some part “We’ve been rambling all this night And some part of the day, And now returning back again We have brought you a branch of May” Traditional May Day Carol Today is 1st May – May Day – a festival rich with traditions stretching back to the Roman Floralia and the Gaelic Beltane, both marking the shift from winter to summer. Ancient customs included lighting bonfires and decorating homes and livestock with bright spring flowers to welcome the new season. Over time, these traditions blended into the May Day celebrations known across the UK from the Middle Ages. One was May birching, where villagers left budding branches on neighbours’ doors, each carrying a message: a pear branch meant you were fair, while a briar suggested someone thought you were a liar. Another was collecting May dew. Women and girls rose before sunrise on 1 May to wash their faces in the dew, believed to bring luck and clear the complexion. Samuel Pepys even recorded being woken by his wife and maids gathering it in 1669. Today, many villages still celebrate May Day and Beltane with bonfires, maypole dancing and local festivals – a reminder of how enduring the themes of renewal and new life are. In the countryside, hawthorn, cow parsley and wild garlic fill hedgerows with fresh green and white. Happy May Day! If you’d like to immerse yourself in the South West this summer, there’s still time to book a custom Foot Trails walking adventure, simply visit our website or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. https://foottrails.co.uk/ #MayDay #EnglishFolklore #SpringInEngland #WalkEngland #hikeengland #ruralengland #visitengland #countryside #walkingholidaysuk #walkingholidays #countrysidewalking #countrysidewalks #MayBlossom #NatureAwakening
Here’s another look at Foot Trails Storyteller Emm Here’s another look at Foot Trails Storyteller Emma’s woodland walk to forage wild garlic. If you’d like to hike the quiet paths of South West England - from the Cotswolds to the coast - visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. We’d love to share our corner of England with you. #foraging #wildgarlic #visitengland #RuralEngland #walkingholidaysuk #SlowTravel #seekthepositive #walkuk #hikeuk #walkingengland #hikingengland #woodlandmagic #treemagic #swisbest #trees #RuralEngland #woodlandwalk
We’re always thrilled to hear from our guests when We’re always thrilled to hear from our guests when they are out on the trails, exploring the different regions of South West England. We recently received some lovely comments and photos from a group of guests who have just completed our Journey Across the Cotswolds trip. “We had an excellent trip and loved every trail. It was such a special way to see the Cotswolds and experience the region.“ Caroline, Germany If you'd like to explore the Cotswolds off the beaten path this summer, simply visit our website (link in bio) and request a brochure, or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #walkuk #hikeuk #Cotswolds #hikethecotswolds #walkingholidaysuk #cotswoldslife #walkingengland #hikingengland #englishcountryside #ruralengland #slowtravel #visitengland #weloveengland
On the hunt for wild garlic... Bluebells aren't t On the hunt for wild garlic... Bluebells aren't the only stars of the show at the moment in woodlands up and down the South West. Wild garlic is also in full bloom. Foot Trails Storyteller Emma decided to go foraging for some of the edible plant's tasty leaves: "I love walking through woods in wild garlic season. The pungent garlicky smell of the leaves is lovely, and when the delicate white flowers appear, the woodland floor is transformed into a carpet of green and white. Last weekend, armed with scissors and a basket, I set off to my local woods to forage some leaves to make wild garlic pesto. With so much wild garlic about at the moment, it didn’t take long to collect the amount I needed. At home, having thoroughly washed the leaves, I used the following recipe from the BBC Good Food website to create a vibrant green pesto that tasted delicious. It was easy to make and I now have two small jars that should keep me well provisioned for the next week or two :) Ingredients 100g/3½oz wild garlic 40g/1½oz blanched hazelnuts, or cobnuts 6 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil, plus extra for storing 3 tbsp lemon juice (approx. 1½ small lemons) 2 tbsp freshly grated pecorino cheese sea salt, to taste Method Blend the wild garlic, hazelnuts, rapeseed oil and lemon juice in a high-powered blender or food processor, until you reach a rough, pesto-like consistency Scrape down the sides of the processor with a spatula and add the pecorino and a good pinch of salt. Blend again, taste, and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a sterilised jar and cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of oil to help keep it fresh. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you'd like to explore tucked-away woodlands and paths less trodden in South West England this summer, there’s still time to book. Simply visit our website or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #foraging #wildgarlic #wildfood #walkuk #hikeuk #englishcountryside #swisbest
Follow the winding rivers from the rugged Exmoor c Follow the winding rivers from the rugged Exmoor coast to the heart of its heather-clad moor. Exmoor is located in South West England, spanning the counties of Somerset and North Devon. Much quieter in the summer than the more popular Dorset Coast, it's perfect for peaceful adventures, calm moments, stillness, and wild, natural beauty. If hiking Exmoor away from the crowds appeals to you this summer, Foot Trails has researched and created a trip called Wild Exmoor, Coast and Moor. To find out more, please visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #keepitwild #exploremore #thegreatoutdoors #exmoor #visitexmoor #exmoornationalpark #exmoor4all #CountrysideWalking #slowtravel #MoorlandWalking #hikeuk #walkuk #hikingengland #englishcountryside #slowtravel #EnglandCoastPath
We love Exmoor for its heather covered moor, prehi We love Exmoor for its heather covered moor, prehistoric stones, rocky river valleys and rugged coastline. In summer, it's much quieter than the Dorset coast, making it the perfect place to escape to nature in the long, warm days of summer. If you'd like to explore this beautiful corner of the South West this summer, visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #keepitwild #exploremore #thegreatoutdoors #exmoor #visitexmoor #exmoornationalpark #exmoor4all #CountrysideWalking #slowtravel #MoorlandWalking #hikeuk #walkuk #hikingengland #englishcountryside #slowtravel #EnglandCoastPath
“Oh, to be in England Now that April’s there” Robe “Oh, to be in England Now that April’s there” Robert Browning, 1845 Today, 23 April, is St. George’s Day. St. George has been celebrated as the patron saint of England since the Tudor period. While not an official holiday, the day is often marked with special events such as morris dancing, pageants, and local festivals - ancient traditions that have been part of rural town and village life for centuries. A Roman soldier of Greek origin who lived in the 3rd century AD, St George never actually visited England. However, he was venerated across Europe in the Middle Ages, and the myths, legends and facts of his life merged to make him a symbol of good triumphing over evil. Happy St. George’s Day! #walkengland #hikeengland #visitengland #StGeorgesDay #englishcountryside #getoutside
South West England is one of the richest prehistor South West England is one of the richest prehistoric landscapes in Europe. The chalk downs, quiet river valleys and rolling farmland conceal some of the most important Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments ever built, forming a ritual landscape that stretches for miles. Stonehenge is, of course, the most famous of these, but there are many other, less well known but equally impressive structures. Like Avebury, a Neolithic henge monument and the largest circle of prehistoric standing stones in the world. Here, you can walk right up to the ancient stones and explore the surrounding land, through fields of golden wheat in summer, past charming thatched cottages and also take in a magnificent 16th-century manor house and gardens. The South West is home to impressive long barrows and ancient burial tombs as well as other, smaller stone circles hidden in the landscape. The charming villages and ancient thatched cottages of counties like Wiltshire give you a real sense of peace and quiet, and a feeling of having stepped back in time even in the heart of summer. It’s one of the reasons why we love it so much. Now is the perfect time to book for a summer hiking adventure in South West England. To find out more about our walking and hiking trips, simply visit our website or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #neolithicbritain #AncientHistory #StoneCircles #englishcountryside #walkuk #hikeuk #visitengland #visitengland #scenicbritain #standingstones #visitwiltshire #longbarrow #stonecircles #walkinguk #explorebritain #stonebothering #beautifuldestinations #ukhiking
South West England is a place of myths, legends an South West England is a place of myths, legends and stories. Of chalk downs, hillforts, barrows, ghost villages and traditions that have lingered for centuries. One of our new walks that we’ve created this year as part of our Thomas Hardy’s Dorset trip, takes in what many believe to be the most haunted locations in the county of Dorset: The ruins of a twelfth century church built in the centre of a Neolithic stone circle. According to local legend, though, the church fell into ruin when the devil stole the bell and threw it into a nearby river. Tales like this abound in rural Dorset. It’s part of what makes this landscape so charming. The tucked-away villages, castles and country houses remain crowd free even at the height of summer. It’s the perfect place to hike ancient hills and vales have little changed since the days of Thomas Hardy. If you’d like to hike these ancient paths this summer, now is the perfect time to book. Simply visit our website or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. https://foottrails.co.uk/holidays/thomas-hardys-dorset/ #englishhistory #historylovers #walkengland #hikeengland #ukwalking #ukhiking #ancientpaths #walkingthroughtime #walkingholidaysuk #hiking #visitengland #englishcountryside #visitdorset #medievalchurch #medieval
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Photography credits: Alison & David Howell. Alun Callender, The National Trust, English Heritage

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