Why Footscape?
by Tim Bond
owner and general manager
I created Footscape in 2004 to encourage people of all ages to discover or re-discover the superb county of Dorset. Since we are based in Dorset and restrict ourselves to a small geographical area, we are able to provide a very personal service. One of our clients called his experience with us “concierge rambling.”
Why Dorset?
Dorset has one of the most varied and spectacular coastlines in England, the “Jurassic Coast”, which is of such beauty and such geological interest that it was designated by UNESCO in 2001 as England’s first and only Natural World Heritage Site, joining the ranks of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. It is unspoilt, little known, not (yet) a major tourist destination and only two and a half hours from London.
Inland lies “Hardy Country” - the beautiful landscapes and villages evoked by Thomas Hardy in his great novels.
The county is steeped in history, with its ancient ridgeway tracks, iron age hill forts, castles and abbeys, its traces of Viking, Roman and Norman invasions, its royal hunting grounds, its smugglers and its shipwrecks, all of which give the walker a sense of voyaging through time along paths that were used by Celtic tribes, Roman legions, King John, Charles II and George III, as well as by Hardy himself and characters from his novels, such as the Mayor of Casterbridge and Tess of the D’Urbevilles.
There are also several wonderful castles, houses and gardens that are open to the public.
What is a Footscape walking holiday?
All our walking holidays (hiking tours) are self-guided. Some are designed for those who want to be completely independent. Others include our own daily transport services to and from the trail, providing a lot of personal attention and flexibility.
Our walking holidays are essentially based on what I would want, if I were a client:
- The best possible trail through gorgeous countryside, with little or no road walking
- A choice of good accommodation to suit my taste and pocket
- Pleasant pubs in picturesque villages that appear along the trail at lunchtime
- Precise, foolproof directions, with interesting information on the places I walk through
- Freedom to walk at my own pace, pausing for a rest or a snack wherever I want
- Efficient transport and baggage transfer services when required, so that I don’t have to carry a heavy backpack and will not be left stranded
- Having time for a leisurely breakfast in the morning, as well as for a bath or shower and a long drink after the day’s walk
- A tour organiser on hand who knows each step of the trail.
So these are the features and services that we aim to provide.
What is a Footscape heritage tour?
The focus of each of our heritage tours is a particular theme of cultural or historical interest.
On our accompanied Thomas Hardy and Garden tours, you can walk as much or as little as you like, but the optional daily walks are easier and shorter than those of our other walking holidays. Furthermore you journey through gorgeous countryside and villages, with time for a midday stop at a pub for a lunch or snack and even a “Dorset cream tea” in the afternoon.
Our Sherborne tour - a short weekend break - is centred on historical Sherborne, widely considered as Dorset’s most beautiful town, with its superb Abbey and two impressive castles (one in ruins), both having once been the home of Sir Walter Raleigh.
The range of Footscape holidays
Please look at our walking holidays and heritage & garden tours pages to discover our full range of holiday options this year, as well as the services they include. Then you can click on those that interest you for a more detailed description and pricing.
For more information about places on our trails and tours, please go to our links and map pages.
You can check availability by completing our short online enquiry form which is accessed on each of our holiday or tour pages.
Footscape Trail Guides
For each of our walking holidays, we will give you a Footscape Trail Guide for easy reference on your hike. Each Trail Guide is a compact, illustrated booklet providing detailed walking directions, times and distances, degrees of difficulty and practical information on pubs, restaurants and village shops.
It also gives a flavour of places along your route by describing the history, legends or oddball personalities associated with them. These passages are mostly extracts from the work of others, with the titles and authors’ names listed in the endnotes. Some of these descriptions were written a century or more ago, and provide an interesting view of the concerns and attitudes of the age.
Thank you for the wonderful time we had... We would recommend you to anyone wishing to tour in England. Your personalization of the tours to our varied needs enhanced our enjoyment of our vacation. Thank you for everything. ”
— Janice Jennings, Linda Snyder, Jenni Jeronimo, Susi Cunningham, USA