It is always fascinating to see which pubs on the Lea Valley Walk are mentioned in The Good Pub Guide. The 2009 edition is just out with several recommendations in addition to the ‘lucky dip’ county listings.

It highlights a pub at Batford I tend to forget athough it is handy. You just need to cross the river from the path to reach the Gibraltar Castle where “quickly served pubby food includes a good range of lunchtime sandwiches”.

The White Horse at Hertford, which is unspoilt, has “very inexpensive home-made bar food”. The pub is where you cross the main road to enter the castle grounds.

The far end of the Walk is Narrow Street in Shadwell where the new pub opposite is just called Narrow. As a Gordon Ramsey establishment, the prices are not too bad for the walker wanting to have a final quick snack after the last leg. There are bar snacks and they start at £5.50.

Just a few yards to the left is The Grapes which has much more history and “decent bar food”. Sadly children are not welcome there.

The book covers the whole country and is far too heavy to carry but it is certainly worth consulting before leaving home. A disappointing pub stop can ruin a good day out walking.

The Good Pub Guide 2009, edited by Alisdair Aird & Fiona Stapley, is published by Ebury (£15.99)