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  • Trips & Tours
    • The Cotswolds
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  • The Howell Way
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By Emma Surridge / September 3, 2025

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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

Hiking to a secluded bay on the Dorset coast

Some winter days feel made for hiking, and the last Wednesday in January was one of them. As David and

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

Life on Instagram

Experience the England others miss. At Foot Trail Experience the England others miss. At Foot Trails, we avoid the crowds and design our routes around the places we truly want to share — quiet villages, beautiful views, country houses and other hidden corners you’d never find alone. On these peaceful paths, you can slow down, wander at your own pace and really feel a place. With no rush and no noise, there’s space to talk, connect, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet. Our step-by-step written trail guides lead you to tucked‑away inns, cafés and village shops for lunch, and in the evenings you’ll relax and refuel at a welcoming local inn, centuries old and at the heart of its community. To find out more, visit our website (link in bio) or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. #countryside #britishcountryside #rurallife #discoverbritain #countrysidewalks #GetOutdoors #walkingholidaysuk #WalkingHoliday #hikeuk #UncrowdedEngland #QuietPaths #UncrowdedEngland #QuietPaths #CountryEscape #TimeInNature #WalkingEngland #WalkUK #HikingUK #CountrysideWalks #SlowTravelUK
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
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Photography credits: Alison & David Howell. Alun Callender, The National Trust, English Heritage

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