Walk with the Romantic poets

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s words describing the sacred river Alph, running from Kubla Khan’s ‘stately pleasure-dome’ at Xanadu down to the sea, could just as easily describe the meandering rivers of west Somerset and north Devon, flowing from the wilds of Exmoor towards the Bristol Channel.

And this is no coincidence, for it was here that the lines came to the poet in a dream as he rested overnight at a farmhouse while walking between Porlock and Lynton in 1797. Upon waking in the morning, he committed the words to paper, though the poem may have been considerably longer had his thoughts not been interrupted by “a person on business from Porlock”.

The romantic landscapes that inspired Coleridge and his friends William and Dorothy Wordsworth (also great walkers) form the backbone of On Foot Holidays’ self-guided walk along the coastal fringe of Exmoor. “The Coleridge Way” now shadows his journey home from Lynton to Nether Stowey, and your route will follow sections of this trail, along with stretches of the South West Coast Path and other lovely footpaths along the wooded valleys and over the high moorlands of this stunning part of southwest England.

Walk into Lynton through the Valley of Rocks, where mountain goats scramble nimbly over the crags. This strange landscape was a favourite haunt of Coleridge, and his walks in the valley and further east provided nuggets of inspiration that led to the creation of one of his best known poems, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Also springing from these landscapes was a collaboration between Coleridge and Wordsworth which produced Lyrical Ballads in 1798, considered to be a seminal work in the English Romantic movement in literature.

Cross the bridge over Badgworthy Water (or use the ford if you prefer) at Malmsmead into ‘Doone Country’, location of Richard Doddridge Blackmore’s 1869 novel Lorna Doone.

Partially based on real events and local legends, this tale of romance, treachery and derring-do is set against the backdrop of the 17th century Monmouth Rebellion, and many of the places described in the book can be identified in the deep valleys of this part of Exmoor.

As the days grow shorter, Coastal Exmoor is our only UK holiday that is available in the colder months. With some shortened days (and good waterproofs…) you can happily hike the three and four night versions in all but the deepest depths of winter. Make the most of a hearty meal by a roaring log fire at the inns along the way, followed by curling up with a good book, of course!

We’re thrilled to present the latest addition to our self-guided walking holidays in the United Kingdom, this time straddling the Welsh Borders through the rural counties of Shropshire, Powys and Herefordshire.

Offa’s Dyke is the 80 mile long earthwork that has marked the border since the 8th century, running along ridge tops and dipping into valleys through splendidly scenic green hills. Our route follows some of the finest parts of the Offa’s Dyke Path, beginning with a gentle couple of days and building up to some serious striding out on the final days (though we offer shortening options too).

For centuries this countryside was subject to border skirmishes between the Welsh and English, as evidenced by ruined castles along the way. The pretty little Marcher towns would once have been fortified, but now they are places to rest comfortably and choose from the wealth of country pubs offering a hearty dinner. You’ll stay in these historic towns that sound like some kind of complicated chess move – from Bishop’s Castle to Clun to Knighton and Kington, the last of which makes a special effort to welcome walkers.

The final destination of your holiday is better known: Hay-on-Wye, nestled at the foot of the Brecon Beacons, is a booklover’s paradise, hosting a world famous annual literature and arts festival and an array of independent second-hand bookshops where you can while away the hours browsing the shelves. The owners will send home your serendipitous finds anywhere in the world, unless you can’t resist taking your cherished volume down to the banks of the gentle River Wye for a lazy afternoon in the sun.

Walk the full route through the Welsh Borders (five nights), or choose from the shorter four and three night versions. We think you won’t be able to resist an extra night in Hay-on-Wye to browse the bookshops or venture into the Brecon Beacons!

Contact Debbie at On Foot Holidays for more about this new holiday.

Photo credits: Pixabay, Jim Barton – cc-by-sa/2.0

The name ‘Jurassic Coast’ immediately conjures up images of dinosaurs and fossils – and that’s exactly what you’ll find on this stretch of the Dorset coast of southern England. Spanning 185 million years of geological formation, the rocks that form the cliffs are prone to rockfalls, regularly giving up the secrets buried deep within.

Here fossil hunters have found everything from the tiniest sea creatures to complete ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. In the pretty seaside town of Lyme Regis, where our walk ends, early 19th century residents were able to scratch a living by selling fossils to visitors – and foremost among them was Mary Anning.

Mary and her brother Joseph were the only survivors to adulthood of the ten children of Richard Anning, a cabinet-maker and fossil hunter. After her father’s early death, Mary, Joseph and their mother Molly sold fossils to visitors to supplement their meagre income, and she and Joseph excavated some large fossils of dinosaurs that had not been seen before.

Mary became an expert self-taught palaeontologist, but poverty forced her to sell her most important finds to wealthy fossil hunters who sometimes took the credit for their discovery.

Unable as a woman to join the Geological Society of London, Mary was dependent on others to present her significant scientific findings, and it is only in recent decades that her name has become well-known outside the small town of Lyme Regis.

There’s plenty more about her remarkable life for you to discover in the museum there, or try the recent feature film “Ammonite” starring Kate Winslet, which was filmed in the town. The novel “Remarkable Creatures” by Tracy Chevalier was also based on her life.

There are many more literary connections to be found as you walk with On Foot Holidays through the lush green hills of Dorset to the Jurassic Coast, made famous through the novels of Thomas Hardy. Stay in cosy village inns and explore the historic towns of Shaftesbury, Bridport and Lyme Regis. Marvel at the impressive Cerne Abbas Giant and complete your holiday with a walk along the ‘Cobb’ sea wall in the footsteps of “The  French Lieutenant’s Woman” and Jane Austen’s Anne Elliot.

Find more about walking in Dorset with On Foot Holidays here