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The Howell Way
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Trips & Tours
The Howell Way
Our Journal
Talk to an expert

Gardens-England

By alison / January 21, 2026

We don't follow the national trails.
We follow the Howell Way.

Our way of walking, our way of caring.
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On our journal

Our team walk in Wiltshire

Last Tuesday, the Foot Trails team (and team mascot Molly the king charles spaniel) met up for a walk and

Why rural Dorset is perfect for a hiking holiday

Hiking the rural countryside of Dorset is like stepping back in time. It’s a landscape made famous by Victorian poet

Far from the madding crowd in Dorset

Last week, David & I (Emma) went to check one of our routes in Dorset. This was the first time

Life on Instagram

I often wonder how many miles I've walked since we

'The daffodils were fair to see, They nodded light

'The daffodils were fair to see,
They nodded lightly in the lea'
Jean Ingelow, 1862

The countryside is awash with bright yellow daffodils at the moment. And soon they'll be giving way to more spring flowers — wild garlic and bluebells. If you'd like to experience spring in all its glory in South West England, we're already taking bookings for 2027. To find out more, visit our website or send us an email to enquire@foottrails.co.uk.

#daffodils #daffodilseason #england #spring #england #hiking #ruralengland #walking #walkuk #hikeuk #slowtravel #ExploreUK #walkingholidayuk #hikingvacations #hikethecotswolds #cotswolds #swisbest

Stepping into rural Dorset is like stepping back i

Stepping into rural Dorset is like stepping back in time. Quiet lanes, rolling green fields and views for miles. The perfect place to step back from the noise of everyday life and immerse yourself in simple countryside hiking.

To find out more, visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk.

#slowtravel #hikeuk #UnhurriedMoments #EnglishCountryside #RuralEngland #visitengland

We’ve always felt that hiking the rural countrysid

We’ve always felt that hiking the rural countryside of Dorset is like stepping back in time. It’s a landscape made famous by Victorian poet and novelist Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), who perfectly captured the timeless feel of this rural county in his famous books. But it’s also so much more.

As you wander the paths and trails of Dorset, it’s easy to see and feel how little has changed since Hardy’s time: 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 and thatched cottages. It’s quintessential ‘Old England’ at its best.

David and I have always felt that Dorset offers the ultimate escape from the noise of day-to-day life. A chance to step well and truly off the beaten track and immerse yourself in nature. When we first started exploring this area nearly 30 years ago, we immediately felt its beauty and tranquility. It’s something that we and our guests still feel today. It’s why this of the South West remains as close to our hearts now as it was all those years ago.

Alison

If you'd like to know more, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#UKHiking #UKWalks #WalkingUK #HikingUK #EnglishTourismWeek26 #EnglandWalks #WalkingInEngland #HikingEngland #EnglishCountryside #DiscoverEngland #slowtravel #visitdorsetofficial #visitdorset #ruralengland #countrysidewalks #walkingholidays #walkingholidaysuk #hikingvacations

In Dorset, far from the madding crowd Last week,

In Dorset, far from the madding crowd

Last week, David & I (Emma) went to check one of our routes in Dorset. This was the first time I had walked this particular trail and I was expecting good things. But what I found exceeded all expectations: stunning landscapes and the textbook definition of a rural idyll.

Following our trusty trail guide through the rolling Dorset countryside, we hiked along ridges, beside streams and through remote farms that felt like they belonged to a different century. We stopped at churches and paused on benches in villages, soaking up the stillness and enjoying the warmth of the spring sunshine on our faces.

This part of Dorset feels like you are a million miles from the modern world. It’s a place of ancient paths, farmland that has little changed in centuries and beautiful villages where you can easily imagine Hardy’s Tess or Bathsheba going about their daily business. Delightfully untouched by tourism, you can walk for miles without meeting others (except for the odd local dog walker).

If you’d like to know more about our off the beaten path walks in Dorset, take a look at our website (link in bio) or simply send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. We’d love to chat.

#dorset #visitdorset #visitdorsetofficial #visitengland #uktravel #englishcountryside #escapetheeveryday #thebestofsouthwest #slowtravel #hikeuk #walkuk #englandtravel #ruralescape #englishcountryside #walkingholidaysuk #lovegreatbritain #ukexplore #ukhikers #yourbritain

What is a Foot Trails walking holiday? At Foot Tr

What is a Foot Trails walking holiday?

At Foot Trails, our routes are picked for joy, rhythm and peace – not just practicality. Each day's hiking is carefully curated to give you the best possible walking experience, not just an A to B route or the usual tick-box sites. With us, you'll explore the beautiful countryside that we know and love: the stunning views, hidden gems and the peaceful places away from more crowded spots.

Each day feels like a mini adventure. You'll have two to three hours to walk & explore in the morning before pausing at a welcoming cafe or inn for lunch or visiting historic site (with a cafe). Then you'll enjoy a few more hours of hiking in the afternoon before arriving at a cosy country inn for refreshments, local ales & ciders and great food.

If you’d like to know more about how we can create a unique hiking & walking trip in South West England for you, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#VisitSouthWest #foottrailsuk #SouthWestWalks #englishcountry #englishcountryside #englishcountrysides #cotswolds #thecotswolds #englishgarden #countryhouse #exploreengland #southwest #spring #visitengland #visitsomerset #dorset #visitwiltshire #hikethecotswolds

Step into the quiet corners of South West England,

Step into the quiet corners of South West England, where grand country estates sit alongside hidden gems nestled in the countryside. As you wander these stunning landscaped gardens, you'll uncover the stories and history of the people who lived and worked here over the centuries.

On our Country Houses & Gardens trip, you'll experience a wonderful mix of gardens large & small. As your days unfold, you'll walk the landscapes and settings in which they exist and also explore the surrounding villages with their traditional cottages and gardens.

Eighteenth century country houses and landscaped gardens, Elizabethan houses, castles and hunting lodges are just some of the highlights you'll experience before arriving in elegant city of Bath with its stunning Georgian architecture. If you love houses and gardens, you'll find so much here to delight you.

To find out more, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#EnglishCountryHouses #HistoricHouses #EnglishGardens #CountryEstate #WalkingInEngland #EnglishCountryside #HiddenEngland #SlowTravel

When's the best time of year to visit country hous

When's the best time of year to visit country houses gardens in England?

We’re often asked this and, honestly, there isn't a single answer. Every month has something to discover and every season tells its own story.

🌱 Spring (March-April) is when gardens wake up. It’s the perfect time to wander through swathes of snowdrops, tulips, daffodils and bluebells, and to watch delicate blossoms drift in the bright, fresh air.

🌹Early summer (May-June) is classic country garden season. Roses, wisteria abd peonies are on their urine, borders burst with colour, abd everything feels full of life in the gentle warmth.

🌳 In midsummer (July-August) herbaceous borders reach their riotous peak while roses abd lavender scent the air. And who can resist a picnic under the shade of ancient trees?

🍂 Autumn (September-October) is when the trees take centre stage in a blaze of reds, oranges and golds: last blooming flowers linger and orchards hang heavy with fruit.

Our Country Houses & Gardens trips are curated to show you the best of the South West, whenever you choose to walk.

To find out more, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Facebook. We’d love to chat about your plans.

#hikeuk #englishcountryhouses #landscapegardens #englishgardens #walkengland

Capability Brown: Hero or villain of the gardening

Capability Brown: Hero or villain of the gardening world?

When you step into the grounds of a country estate in England, you’ll probably be walking into the vision of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. In the 18th century, Capability Brown was a giant in landscape gardening; the man who softened the countryside into what we now see as quintessentially English - rolling green fields and sweeping vistas of lakes and carefully planted trees.

But Capability Brown wasn’t without controversy. Some disliked his ‘naturalistic’ style calling it ‘bare, smooth and bald’. Others described him as a ‘vandal’ responsible for destroying the formal gardens that had previously been en vogue.

So is Capability Brown a hero or villain? Probably neither. His designs are a reminder that landscapes are constantly evolving, shaped by taste, power, fashion, and the human desire to create beauty.

Even the landscapes we consider to be archetypal English countryside are actually just another chapter in England’s fascinating history. Just one of the reasons why we love exploring these fascinating estates and sharing them with our guests the world over.

If you’d like to walk through history in the English countryside on our Country Houses & Gardens trip, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#FootTrails #CapabilityBrown #EnglishLandscapes #HistoryInTheHedgerows #WalkEngland #CountrysideStories #GardenHistory #ExploreOnFoot

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Credits & small print

Photography credits: Alison & David Howell. Alun Callender, The National Trust, English Heritage

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