South West England

Our home, our patch, a richly diverse area that we wish to share with you. We hope you can get to know the South West England we love, not just the key landmarks and crowds, but its quiet beauty, hidden stories, and the joy of hiking. Slowly, leaving only footprints.

A region of Shires

The South West of England is divided into ‘shires’, a division of land first used by the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex in the 9th century, before spreading nationwide in the 10th century. The Norman’s couldn’t shake these names out of existence and they still endure.

Our Foot Trails trips take place in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Dorset(shire), Somerset(shire) and Devon(shire).

Out in the country each of these areas maintains a distinct character, from the character stone cottages and sheep pastures of The Cotswolds, to the wide open chalk downs and thatched cottages of Wiltshire, the mythical levels & cider orchards of Somersetshire, the timeless rural coastline of Dorsetshire, or the rocky rugged beauty of the Devonshire border. There’s a wealth of different landscapes to explore that many of our guests choose to explore with Foot Trails time and again.

The Cotswolds

The beauty of The Cotswolds is world renowned. It’s charming cottages and villages, rolling pastoral landscape, entwined with rich stories. Take a quintessentially English inn to inn hike in this genteel landscape.

Discover The Cotswolds →

Coastal Hikes

Explore two very different coasts with Foot Trails. Choose from Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, a geological marvel, or the rugged rocky coast of Exmoor, where the wild coast and wild moor mingle. Coastal hikes to take your breath away.

Walking the coast →

The Land of Kings

This area of South West England is a rich treasure trove of stories, walk King Arthur’s land, or explore in the footsteps of Saxon King Alfred, or marvel at ruined Norman castles. Imagine the Kings & Knights of old.

Discover The Land of Kings →

Heritage & Gardens

From humble cottage gardens, to the grandeur of the landscape gardens at Stourhead. The iconic like Stonehenge and grand Tudor mansions, to the simple rural church, there’s much awaiting your discovery.

Inspired Heritage & Gardens →