AN app to help people get around the pubs and walks in the Cotswolds has been launched by two avid walkers.

Gary Stevens, from Stanton Fitzwarren in Wiltshire, and John Spinks, from Fairford - who both work as the company TinyRocket - have created a free app, ‘Pub Walks - The Cotswolds’, for visitors and locals to use when venturing out to an area they may be unfamiliar with.

The app combines scenic circular walks in the Cotswolds with its country pubs.

Users can see where they are on the map, choose which route to follow and see whether or not they have taken a wrong turn.

The maps work without a network connection, making it usable in remote areas with no mobile phone coverage.

Gary deals with the design and marketing of the app while John deals with the development.

Gary said: “There are a lot of good pubs out there and a lot of good walks, but the thing from a lot of people is that they wouldn’t be confident to go out and walk if they didn’t know the area.

“They may have paper maps but people get lost with paper maps. Most people do have a mobile phone and the app will not only be able to follow a route, it will act as a satnav.

“One of the challenges was getting the app to work offline as sometimes you lose phone signal.”

Gary often goes walking with his two dogs and three boys in the Southrop, Eastleach and Burford areas of the Cotswolds. Occasionally, he will venture out to the north Cotswolds.

He said his love for countryside walking was what prompted the development of the app: “It’s nice to get out in the fresh air. We’re not far from the Cotswolds, we know a lot of great pubs and walks around the area.

“A lot of people know the Cotswolds is a great walk but don’t have the confidence to go on a footpath and know that they won’t get lost.”

The pair are testing out the app in the Cotswolds first but are planning to expand to other areas.

Gary said: “Because we are local, we wanted to test everything in the Cotswolds first.

“We are testing the technology and usage of the app: what people like or dislike.

“Once we are happy with the way the app is progressing, we will be looking at other areas. We will probably be it rolling out a chunk at a time. We are still at that planning and learning phase.”

Pub Walks - The Cotswolds is available to download for free from the iTunes App Store. Work is in progress for an Android version.

For those who enjoy longer, more challenging walks with Ordnance Survey maps, TinyRocket have also developed a paid app called ‘Path Ranger - The Cotswolds’.