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

Stepping stones river Cotswolds clapper

By Emma Surridge / January 16, 2026

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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

What is The Howell Way?

Nearly 25 years ago, when Alison and I founded Foot Trails, we set out to change how hiking was viewed.

A blustery day on the Dorset coast

One word defined Saturday’s hike recce for Foot Trails: Wind! We test and check new trails quite often in the

Telling stories as we walk: An interview with David Howell

At Foot Trails, we tell stories as we walk. Which is why we place so much importance on the myths,

Life on Instagram

Last month, I (Emma from the Foot Trails team) was

Last month, I (Emma from the Foot Trails team) was out exploring a route in the Deverills—the stunning chalk downlands Wiltshire is famed for. It was a perfect winter’s day: bright blue skies, fluffy white clouds and views for miles. I stopped to watch the local paragliding club launching themselves off the side of the hill and to chat with some local dog walkers. It may still be winter, but it’s always good to get out and blow away the cobwebs.

Emma

#VisitWiltshire #ChalkDownland #WhiteHorseCountry #HikingUK #WalkingEngland #RuralEngland #DiscoverEngland #SlowTravelUK #GetOutside #UncrowdedEngland #QuietPaths #UncrowdedEngland #QuietPaths #CountryEscape #walkingholidaysuk #selfguided #EnglandWalks #WalkingInEngland #HikingEngland #TimeInNature

Nearly 25 years ago, when Alison and I founded Foo

Nearly 25 years ago, when Alison and I founded Foot Trails, we set out to change how hiking was viewed. In 2002, walking was often seen as all about distance and A‑to‑B goals with only basic accommodation. We wanted something different: walking tours shaped by our own beliefs and rooted in the rural South West England we knew so well.

We chose the quiet ways — not crowds or tick‑box landmarks, but landscapes, hedgerows, history and the stories of those who live here. These principles still guide us today. It’s what we call The Howell Way.

Our guests discover an England many visitors miss: intimate, uncrowded countryside, birdsong, hedgerows and unhurried exploration. Our routes are crafted with purpose, not simply to get you somewhere, but to help you be somewhere — connected to place, story and each other, always feeling seen and cared for.

We don’t follow national trails. We follow The Howell Way.

To find out more, visit our website (link in bio).

A winter's hike in Wiltshire... Here's another lo

A winter's hike in Wiltshire...

Here's another look at the walk we did two weeks ago to update one of our trails in Wiltshire.

It started off a cold and misty morning. As we made our way through the tranquil countryside to an Iron Age hillfort, the sun started to show its face. From there, our trail took us through patchwork farmland to the magnificent Gothic cathedral of Salisbury.

If you'd like to explore this history-rich corner of the South West, visit our website (link in bio) and request a brochure.

#hiking #walking #ukwalking #ukwalks #ukhiking #ukoutdoors #SalisburyCathedral #cathedrals #visitwiltshire #oldsarum #salisburycathedral #HistoricEngland #EnglishHistory #AncientEngland

Buy a broom in May, sweep a friend away... Supers

Buy a broom in May, sweep a friend away...

Superstitions have long shaped everyday life in rural England. Before science offered explanations, people read meaning into small signs—a black cat crossing their path, a crow tapping at the window, or the sight of a solitary magpie. In the South West, charms and talismans were used to guard against unseen forces. Witch bottles filled with unpleasant mixtures were buried beneath hearths to ward off evil, and it was considered unlucky to bring hawthorn indoors or buy a broom in May.

Cottages were closely tied to seasonal rhythms too: front doors were decorated on May Day, and corn dollies made from the last sheaf of harvest were kept through winter before being ploughed into the first furrow of spring. Thatchers left their own marks too, placing small thatched animals on roof apexes—foxes, hares, cats, and more—still visible today if you remember to look up :)

If you'd like to explore the villages, lanes & footpaths of the South West in 2026, simply visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. We'd love to chat through your plans.

#VisitEngland #EnglishCottage #CountryCottage #EnglishVillage #WalkingHolidaysUK #UKHiking #UKWalks #WalkingUK #HikingHoliday #WalkingHoliday #UKHolidays #CottageLife #Cottages #CozyCottage #EnglandWalks #WalkingInEngland #HikingEngland #EnglishCountryside #ruralengland

Exploring the villages of South West England is on

Exploring the villages of South West England is one of the great pleasures of walking here. Every few miles, you may stumble upon a small settlement of cottages gathered around an ancient church, a school and a welcoming pub. These buildings feel rooted in the land itself, shaped from local materials that give each region its own character: the granite and slate of Exmoor, Somerset’s honey‑coloured Ham stone, Dorset’s plaster and thatch, the flint and brick of Wiltshire’s chalk valleys, and the warm yellow limestone of the Cotswolds.

The inns our guests stay at are historic hostelries like these—centuries‑old and at the heart of their communities, having offered food, drink and rest to travellers since time immemorial. We choose each one with care to ensure an authentic experience of the South West.

If you’d like to explore the villages, lanes and footpaths of South West England in 2026, visit our website (link in bio) or email enquire@foottrails.co.uk.

#VisitEngland #EnglishCottage #ThatchedCottage #CountryCottage #HolidayCottages #EnglishVillage #CottageCore #CottageHome #UKHolidays #EnglishCountryside #UKHiking #UKWalks #WalkingUK #HikingUK #CountrysideWalks #FreshAirAndFreedom #WanderBritain #HiddenTrails

A blustery day in Dorset 3/3 "Continuing along th

A blustery day in Dorset 3/3

"Continuing along the cliffs we could see great expanses of sea. Sheep perched a little precariously on the cliff slopes. The views were amazing, seeing where green land meets the sea.

Our lunch spot made a welcome sight: A proper stone built pub in the heart of the Purbeck countryside. The view from the garden over Corfe castle is tremendous and breathtaking. Inside we found a cosy spot by a log fire and tucked in, chatting over our day's adventures.

This trail was 7 miles. The complete trail will be 10 miles in length.”

Alison Howell

If you’d like to explore the stunning Dorset coast in 2026, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#SouthWestCoastPath #CoastalWalksUK #CoastalAdventure #EnglandCoastPath #CoastalHiking #UKCoastline #DorsetCoastline #VisitDorset #DorsetCoast #DorsetWalking #HikingUK #WalkBritain #ExploreOnFoot #CountrysideWalks #CliffWalk #ruralengland #Englandwalks #walkingholidaysuk #walkinguk #hikeuk #hikinguk #ukoutdoors

A blustery day in Dorset 2/3 "David and I began o

A blustery day in Dorset 2/3

"David and I began our hike in a small coastal community on Dorset's coast. Idyllic cottages and a great pub. The village has a rich and well documented history of smuggling during the 18th and 19th centuries. Contraband such as brandy, tea and silk were often hidden in the local caves and several points on our trail were locations where goods were brought ashore.

From here our hike hugged the coastline cliffs closely. The views of the swell on the sea were incredible. On top of the cliffs the wind was strongest and the coastguard waved to us out of the window of the glass fronted lookout. My hair blew out wildly from beneath my hat! We paused to look at a small chapel perched on the cliffs."

Alison & David were recceing a new walk in our Coastal Seascapes of Dorset trip. To find out more about our walking & hiking holidays in the region, visit our website (link in bio).

#SouthWestCoastPath #CoastalWalksUK #CoastalAdventure #EnglandCoastPath #CoastalHiking #UKCoastline #DorsetCoastline #VisitDorset #DorsetCoast #DorsetWalking #HikingUK #WalkBritain #ExploreOnFoot #CountrysideWalks #CliffWalk #LandscapeLoversUK #Englandwalks #walkingholidaysuk #walkinguk #hikeuk #hikinguk #ukoutdoors

A blustery day on the Dorset coast 1/3 This past

A blustery day on the Dorset coast 1/3

This past weekend, Foot Trails Co-Founders Alison & David Howell travelled down to the Dorset coast to recce a new route for our Coastal Seascapes of Dorset trip. The weather was what we would call ‘bracing’, which made for some perfect winter coastal walking:

“One word defined Saturday's hike recce for Foot Trails: Wind! We test and check new trails quite often in the winter, and Saturday was exceptionally windy. This powerful force of nature was awesome. Throwing up spray onto us on the cliffs, buffeting our faces and threatening to take our breath away!"

This hike is for our new 'Coastal Seascapes of Dorset' trip. It's best described as moderate due to the steep cliff climbs in places. (down and up!). You can find out more about our hiking & walking trips on the Dorset coast on our website (link in bio).

#SouthWestCoastPath #CoastalWalksUK #CoastalAdventure #EnglandCoastPath #CoastalHiking #UKCoastline #SeaViewsUK #ExploreTheSouthWest #DorsetWalks #jurassiccoast #dorset #WanderBritain #UKExplorers #TrailSeekers #walkingholidaysuk #walkinguk #hikeuk #hikinguk #ukoutdoors

'The human story and the landscape of South West E

'The human story and the landscape of South West England are entwined.'

Which is why we place so much importance on the myths, legends, history and folklore of the regions we share with our guests. It's why our trail guides are full of the stories of the South West (alongside step-by-step instructions).

To delve deeper into the ethos behind this approach, Emma from the Foot Trails team sat down with Co-Founder & Trail Creator David Howell to ask him about his love of history and how he weaves this into every walk.

To find out more about our walking & hiking trips in South West England, visit our website (link in bio) or send us a message here on Instagram.

#HistoricEngland #EnglishHistory #BritishFolklore #walkingholidaysuk #walkuk #hikeuk
#UKHiking #UKWalks #WalkingUK #HikingUK #EnglandWalks #WalkingInEngland #HikingEngland #WanderBritain #EnglishCountryside #DiscoverEngland #EnglandOutdoors #EnglishNature #CountryWalking #VillageWalks #HiddenEngland #GreatBritishWalks #LoveTheOutdoorsUK #VisitEngland #NatureBritain

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enquire@foottrails.co.uk
+44 (0) 1747 820 626

The Welsh Mill, Frome, BA11 2LE

Credits & small print

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

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