Coast & Water
Here are a few suggested coast & water walking tours & holidays to inspire you for your next adventure in England.
A landscape & coastal inn to inn hike
An inn to inn hiking tour that takes you through the folds and creases of the land to the sea’s edge, Enjoy charming Dorset villages, babbling streams and ancient mills, all steeped in tales of smugglers and ancient England.
Walking tour with river & canal views
Explore on foot the fascinating history, cosmopolitan flair and stunning architecture of Bath. Bucolic river views, canals, aqueducts, mills and countryside that surround this country city.
A taste of all things coastal
Get a taste of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast on this 4 or 5 night inn to inn hike. Enjoy beachside stays and walks that hug the coast, venture into ancient villages and onto lofty cliff tops to enjoy some of the best views in South West England.
From rugged coastline to wild moor
NEW for 2025 – Explore a unique landscape of moor, woodland and coast on an inn to inn trail that celebrates the ancient countryside of north Somerset and Exmoor. Journey from the dramatic coast of the Severn estuary to a wild moor landscape steeped in history and tales.
A few of the things we love about being by water:
Explore the coast
Walking by the coast is an exhilarating experience, the views from the cliffs of the ocean, land meeting sea with the wash of the waves.
But lovely too is that childlike anticipation, can you see the sea yet? Inland views frame the coast, a glimpse here and then it’s gone, as you journey to the coast.
Along the way tales of shipwrecks, smuggling, and the trials of living by the coast. Explore Dorset’s spectacular coastal scenery on our Landscapes and Seascapes and Smuggler’s Tale Foot Trails.
The Avon Canals
The canal network in the Avon valleys dates back over 300 years, a solution to being able to move larger and heavier loads of goods to market (the rivers had largely become unnavigable due to the mills and their weirs).
Our Bath & Avon Valley Foot Trail explores both an abandoned canal; stone locks and bridges stand where once water & barges moved. And then to the still working Kennet & Avon, opened in 1723 and 87 miles in total, Two stunning aqueducts carry the canal over the River Avon. Colourful barges still travel the canal today.
Rivers, Mills & Weirs
Some of the most uplifting spots, the calm of a mill pond, or the still of a river behind a weir; then the power of the water is revealed as it thunders through a sluice or tumbles over the weir. Some of the mills across Wessex and The Cotswolds can trace their story back over a 1000 years.
And then there are those wonderful names; the River Windrush (Cotswolds), River Nadder (Wiltshire), River Parrett (Somerset) & River Stour (Dorset). Standing on a bridge, watching the water glide by, spotting the fish beneath the surface, simple joy. If you would like a river trail as part of your adventure let us know.
Smuggling
Smuggling was (allegedly!) the main industry of the coast in the 17th & 18th centuries, but smugglers would characterise themselves as free traders, a worthy trade as opposed to an illegal one. Typically they traded in the most heavily taxed goods, such as silk & tea, before spirits became more prevalent. Rich in tales and folklore these were dangerous times by the coast.
One Dorset smuggler had the wonderful name of Isaac Gulliver, so successful he had an audience with the King who asked him to stop!
How do our trips work?
Typically you stay for 2 nights at each selected country inn with a different and varied walk each day. It allows for a little less packing & moving on, and a little more exploring like a local. Luggage transfers are included when you hike to your next country inn.
Your itinerary consultant is here to guide you through creating and arranging your Foot Trail. Simply get in touch below to start a conversation.
Like to find out more?
Free brochure with daily walk information, accommodation details and example pricing available. To request your brochure just pop your details in below. We look forward to hearing from you.
