Bottom of page 29 to middle of page 31:

Follow Parkway Road from the station forecourt (or right from the Luton path) to a roundabout. Turn left into Lower Harpenden Road. Continue ahead to go under the flyover and follow the path which rises to leave the roadside.

Only go left up the steps to visit Someries Castle (see page below).

Stay on the main path running parallel to the road below (right). Soon the way is fenced and high above the road. At a junction the path runs up a steep slope to run alongside the main railway line. From the high ground there are occasional glimpses of Luton Hoo mansion (right).

Top of page 32:

The “missing bridge” has been replaced.

Page 36: Diversion to Someries Castle

Go up the steps and left on to a path leading up to Airport Way. Turn right to cross high over the railway. Keep forward where the pavement ends and after a short distance turn sharp right to climb the steps up to the top of the bank. Here there is a view across Luton by the fence of Luton Airport.

Go ahead from the top of the bank and turn left with the airport fence to follow the path along high ground and then down into the valley.

At the bottom of the hill turn left to stay with the airport fence. On meeting a gate keep to its right to continue uphill. Stay with the fence as it bears round to the right, passing a clump of trees and a hedge. Go through a kissing gate on the left and bear half right to pass between brick Someries Castle (right) and the farmhouse. Go through another kissing gate by the track gate and turn immediately right to find the gate leading to the castle.

Return by the same route but when near the bottom of the hill do not go right up hill but continue ahead following the bottom of the valley to go under the railway by two cottages (right).

Turn left along the road for a few yards to find on the left a kissing gate. Once in the field keep parallel to the road. After a short distance bear left up a wide gap and before a tunnel turn right up a slope.

I have been looking at the path south of Luton Airport Parkway where there have been big road changes. The work has taken longer than expected and in addition Sustrans has begun work on a cycleway.

I was fortunate to meet Sustrans’ area manager Andy Knight on site. I shall shortly be posting a new text for the opening of section 3.

In future there will be no need to cross a dangerous road and walk under the end of the airport runway. Some will regret this maybe!

Thanks to Sustrans one can walk directly south on a safe path. Some of it is already newly surfaced.

Here the path is following an old railway line. Yesterday the ground was being landscaped around a new footbridge which spans the main road as the path moves to the west side.

At East Hyde, just inside Hertfordshire, work has started on the path running into Harpenden. There is is a gentle slope up to the old railway embankment from the road at East Hyde. A new hedge is in place to enclose the path.

I shall update on this area from time to time as there will be occasional diversions as work continues and other changes.

Some may regret the stretches of hard surface but overall this is a great improvement.

There is little signage at present. The old has gone, the temporary has blown down and the new has yet to come.

Pages 29 to 37.

The Highbridge Street car park on Cheshunt Marsh near Waltham Abbey is now closed for work to begin on the London 2012 White Water Canoe Centre.

Walkers passing Waltham Lock will see the gradual change and flooding of the flat area.

Page 89.

The towpath between Ponders End and the Lea Valley Viaduct continues to be closed between 7.30am and at least 6pm until Friday 15 May 2009. There is a signed diversion.

Pages 99 to 101.

It has been a lovely sunny day on the towpath.

However, I have a report that the  towpath closure between Ponders End and Picketts Lock was not lifted for the Bank holiday weekend as advertised.

There are free photocopied maps in racks at either end of the closure showing the diversion route.

The well-signed diversion is via Meridian Way, Lea Valley leisure Complex and Picketts Lock Lane.

The ‘community relations’ hotline is 0800 021 7890.

More news later I hope.

Pages 99 to 101.

Walk London’s ‘Spring Into Summer’ weekend is at the end of this month.

I shall be leading the ‘Lower Lea Valley’ afternoon walk on Saturday 30 May starting at the very south end of the Lea Valley Walk.

We meet at Limehouse DLR Station at 2pm. The first stop will be the swing bridge in Narrow Street where the Lea Valley Walk starts -or ends. This is where Lea navigation joins the Thames.

Then we go into Limehouse Basin and past St Anne’s Limehouse -a magnificent Hawksmoor church – on our way to the Limehouse Cut.

We shall of course pause at Three Mills before starting to follow the Olympic Park.

If we are able to go up to the viewpoint I shall post the news here the day before.

We shall end after about five miles at Hackney Wick Station. But you can of course drop out at Three Mills where there is the nearby Bromley-by-Bow underground station.

All Walk London walks are free.

For a second weekend The Times has been promoting walking.

It is interesting to read the version on its website where the Lee Valley walk is currently the favourite beating other beautiful parts of the country.

The paper’s Lee Valley example is the very short walk from the towpath at Amwell Walkway Bridge to Great Amwell which was included in the first edition of the Lea Valley Walk guide when diversions were included.

Great Amwell is a lovely village with the New River running running throught it. There is even an island.

The current edition still suggests a diversion although not  a circular walk as in The Times. I know some walkers don’t like missing even a mile of the main path on a long distance route.

Next month teas will probably be available again on Sunday afternoons at the church.

See pages 69 and 71.

A stretch of the Lee Valley towpath in the Enfield area has been closed temporarily for essential electricity works. The overhead electricity transmission line between substations at Waltham Cross, Brimsdown and Tottenham is being refurbished.

The towpath is closed between Ponders End and Lea Valley Viaduct.

The path will reopen for the May Bank Holiday weekend and then be closed until Friday 15 May.

There will be a further closure from Monday 15 June to Friday 10 July.

Pages 99 to 101.