Behind the scenes as a new Foot Trail is created

Quiet, open, and easy to overlook, the Somerset Levels are a gentle, rural corner of the South West. Especially in autumn, when the hedgerows turn copper and gold, the trees are starting to drop their leaves, and the countryside is settling down for winter. When you walk the ancient pathways here, the views stretch out

Dream of hiking the English countryside away from the crowds? On quiet footpaths through beautiful rural landscapes, staying in historic country inns, hundreds of years old? With Foot Trails, you’ll explore rural South West England as we know it. Not the crowds or tick-box landmarks, but the landscapes, hedgerows and history. The stories of those

On a beautifully crisp, bright day at the end of October, Talia, Alastair and I (Emma) from the Foot Trails team set out to check one of our trails in Somerset. Starting from a historic country inn at the heart of a small village we set off across an autumnal landscape, stopping to admire the

When you hike the English countryside, history is never far beneath your feet. Walking in England is like stepping back through time. Historic (and prehistoric) monuments are dotted throughout the landscape – what may just look like a lump in the ground, could be a Bronze Age long barrow. Or a hill dominating the landscape

Route checking is a big part of what we do here at Foot Trails. We regularly rewalk our trails to make sure they still ‘work’ (no unexpected changes have been made on the ground) and in response to feedback from guests who have been out walking. At the start of October, I (Talia), Natasha and

“The customer service was luxurious – from the Foot Trail team, the drivers, the inn keepers – made us feel, not only cared for, but spoiled.” Barbara, Canada On a Foot Trails self-guided walking holiday, we take care of all your planning and logistics, including your luggage transfers.  When you hike from one country inn

This past weekend, the clocks went back, which means shorter days but also glorious sunrises and sunsets. In October, the weather can be more changeable, but when the sun shines, the countryside looks glorious! Here are a few photos from the Somerset countryside that our team took over the past few days. If you’d like

Last month, Foot Trails Storyteller Emma was out checking one of our trails on a glorious autumnal morning. This short (4.5 miles) walk is one of our introductory hikes, an optional route that our guests can do on their arrival day to familiarise themselves with the English countryside. “Starting from one of our country inns

Foot Trails was created with the belief that each day’s walk should lead you to a warm welcome and a cosy place to stay, bedrooms with creature comforts and en suite bathrooms, authentic to the area you are exploring, and good evening food on offer in a relaxing environment. We personally hand pick every one

Our self-guided, inn-to-inn hikes are unique experiences carefully crafted to give you a sense of discover and journey. We like to treat each day as a mini adventure, weaving variety, interest, stories, and comfort into each daily hike. This generally means around three hours to hike in the morning, a nice place to pause for

25 years is a wonderful milestone. This is a testament to the many great people over the years: those who supported David’s and my initial idea in 2002 at our kitchen table, who helped with research and getting the company and our concept off the ground, all the guests from across the UK and around

We’re excited about sharing the new trail we’ve created with our guests in 2027. To find out more about two of these, I (Storyteller Emma) sat down with Foot Trails Co-Founder and Trail Creator David Howell to ask him how and why he decided to add these new trails to the portfolio. Where are the