Bath, 13 July 2016: As high season approaches, Foot Trails (01747 820626; www.foottrails.co.uk) is committed to offering its best prices, charging no supplements for peak-time travel.

“Prices for our tailor-made walking holidays remain the same and do not vary according to season,” says Alison Howell, founder of the West Country walking specialist. “So we offer great value for holidaymakers wishing to take a break during this peak travel period, traditionally a time when many travel companies charge extra.”

Foot Trails creates inspiring walks, plotting routes that avoid the crowded national trails and instead follow local paths. Notes are provided about local history and nature to immerse guests in the cultural landscape and put them back in touch with the natural environment. Country cafés, inns and small hotels are hand-picked for their award-winning food and drink and stylish, comfortable accommodation, to add a touch of luxury while promoting sustainable rural tourism. New holidays for summer 2016 include:

NEW INN-TO-INN TOUR: Dorset Royal Chase

Dorset Royal Chase is a new self-guided walking holiday in North Dorset that explores the centuries-old hunting grounds around Cranborne, once frequented by Henry VIII, dipping into ancient villages of thatched flint and red-brick cottages. As guests cross this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), their journey will take them even further back in time, encountering evidence of Neolithic life such as burial mounds and earthworks dating from 5,000 years ago. The walk is a linear route of four or five nights, tailor-made to guest preferences. Guests stay in characterful rural inns that have been selected to provide accommodation with a touch of luxury. And Foot Trails even recommends places to eat and drink along the way, such as hand-picked farm cafés and country pubs, serving fresh, local, seasonal produce.

From £495 per person, based on two sharing, including four nights' B&B, luggage transfers, transport, a tailored Walk and Explore pack, featuring waterproof Local Ordnance Survey maps and trail guide cards, local stories and histories, recommendations for lunchtime stops, nature cards for identifying wild flowers, trees and animals, and a seasonal nature guidebook – plus a fortifying bag of sweets and a bottle of wine.

NEW TWO-COUNTY HIKE: Somerset and Devon Coast

Tales of gunpowder plots and feudal kingdoms are among the highlights of the new independent walking break Somerset and Devon Coast. The five- to 10-night, two-county hike covers varied terrain, passing through the rolling fields and quaint market towns of south Somerset, calling at the hill castle said to be the location of King Arthur's legendary Camelot. Onwards, walkers explore the wooded pastures and craggy foreshore of Devon's South Hams, spotting otters and discovering stories about the sea.

From £545 per person for five nights, inclusions as above. Transfer between Somerset and Devon can be arranged for an extra fee.

NEW REGIONAL TOUR: South West Explorer

The new tailor-made South West Explorer is an independent tour that allows ramblers to discover the entire south-west region at their own pace. Calling at up to six different counties, guests can choose a more relaxed timeline of between 10 and 21 days, to explore Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, the Cotswolds, Bath and Devon. Time can be split between days spent walking and days spent enjoying local attractions, from spas to museums and, perhaps, even a trip to Stonehenge.

From £1,445 per person for 10 nights, inclusions as above.

NEW DAY WALK: Bath Prior's View

Following the success of its first day walk, Journey to the Stones, Foot Trails has launched Bath Prior's View. This 7.5-mile small-group stroll winds through the pastures and villages of the Avon valley, before arriving in the Unesco World Heritage City. There, walkers follow a specially designed route through the streets, finding out about Bath's multi-layered history, calling at the best vantage points for viewing the city's Georgian glory.

Bath Prior's View takes place on the last Friday of the month until October 2016, and costs £75 per person. The walk includes the expert guiding services of David Howell, transport to and from local mainline railway stations, picnic lunches and entrance fees.

Follow developments at Foot Trails on Twitter: @FootTrailsUK, Instagram: @foottrailsUK, and at www.facebook.com/foottrails. Blog: http://foottrails.co.uk/blog/ and Vimeo http://foottrails.co.uk/our-story/we-are-foot-trails/

To request images or further information, to enquire about press trips, and to arrange interviews with Alison Howell, please email travelnews@traveltappers.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@traveltappers.co.uk and Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@traveltappers.co.uk. Traveltappers is a trading name of Little Black Book Creative Ltd.

Notes to editors:

Foot Trails – named Best Local Low-Impact Tour Operator by Greentraveller – is an innovative and award-winning British travel company and the leading specialist provider of rural walking holidays in South West England, with more than 900 miles of trails in Somerset, Wiltshire, the Cotswolds, Dorset and Devon. The company specialises in designing walks for adults to suit individual tastes. The successful Foot Trails brand, established in 2002 by Alison Howell, has been built on a passion for rural England, an unwavering determination to provide unique walking-holiday experiences, and a strong commitment to ensuring that tourism is sustainable and impacts positively on the landscapes and economies of rural communities.

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