Alison Howell's Foot Trails (www.foottrails.co.uk; 01747 820626) has opened bookings for four new walks for 2016. The guided and independent rambles, which range from a gentle one-day walk to a 21-night hike, are featured in the 2016 brochure, now live on the Foot Trails website.

All walks have the special Foot Trails touch of sustainable luxury. Routes, which are tailor-made for guests by one of the team's holiday planners, avoid main trails to follow local paths, with information provided about local history and nature. Itineraries include hand-picked recommendations on the best places to eat and stay for excellent food and drink and friendly service. Car-free options are also available.

NEW DAY WALK

Following the success of its first day walk, Journey to the Stones, Foot Trails is launching a second one-day walk titled Bath Prior's View. This 7.5-mile, small-group stroll will wind through the pastures and villages of the Avon valley, before arriving in the Unesco World Heritage City. There, walkers will follow a specially designed route through the streets calling at the best vantage points for viewing the city's Georgian glory.

Bath Prior's View will take place on the last Friday of the month, from April to October 2016, and costs £75 per person. Journey to the Stones will run on the first Thursday of the month, over the same period, priced £95. Both walks include the expert guiding services of David Howell, transport to and from local mainline railway stations, picnic lunches and entrance fees.

TWO-COUNTY HIKE

Tales of gunpowder plots and feudal kingdoms are among the highlights of the new independent walk Somerset and Devon Coast. The five- to 10-night, two-county hike covers a 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 will explore the wooded pastures and craggy foreshore of Devon's South Hams, spotting otters and discovering stories about the sea.

From £545 per person, including five nights' B&B, transport drop-off at the trailhead, the services of a Foot Trails holiday planner, tailored Walk and Explore Box with waterproof maps, trail guide cards, and information about local history and nature – plus a bottle of wine and a fortifying bag of sweets.

REGIONAL TOUR

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, plus transfers. Available early March to mid-November 2016.

AUTUMN TREK

Autumn 2016 will see the launch of Cotswolds Autumn Glow, an atmospheric three-night guided trip on the Cotswold and Oxfordshire borders led by David Howell. En route, walkers will call at one of England's finest Jacobean houses, browse the historic market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, and venture deep into woodland as the leaves turn and the rich earth pushes up its harvest of mushrooms. Departing Sunday 16 October 2016, the trip costs from £595 per person, including half-board accommodation, local transfers, expert guiding and a welcome dinner and drink with Foot Trails' founders Alison and David Howell.

Foot Trails has also added Autumn to its suite of pages offering tips on how best to enjoy the season in the great outdoors. The inspiring information ranges from tips on what to wear to the best landscapes to choose for a hike at this time of year.

To book, visit www.foottrails.co.uk or call 01747 820626.

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 contact Little Black Book Creative: Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@lbbcreative.co.uk, or Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@lbbcreative.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Alison Howell's Foot Trails 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 850 miles of trails in Somerset, Wiltshire, The Cotswolds, Dorset and Devon. 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 tourism is sustainable and impacts positively on the landscapes and economies of rural communities.

Foot Trails ­– named Best Local Low-Impact Tour Operator by Greentraveller – draws on expert knowledge gained by the team during more than 12 years spent tramping across the region to create inspiring, seasonally appropriate walks. The company specialises in designing walks for adults to suit individual tastes. Routes are plotted to avoid the crowded national trails, instead following local paths, with notes provided about local history and nature to immerse guests in the cultural landscape and put them back in touch with the natural environment. Country cafes, inns and small hotels are hand-picked for award-winning food and drink and stylish, comfortable accommodation, to add a touch of luxury while promoting sustainable rural tourism.

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