Walk 7 : Garston to St Albans

If you use the book's sketch map to help with navigation then you need to be aware of something which can easily lead you astray. The last 1km before lunch looks like a straight path heading north, and this is also how the footpath looks on OS maps. But in fact the path curves right, staying alongside the river for a further 200m, where you are then supposed to turn left at a footpath marker. Well, if the marker was there we didn't see it, and there was no obvious path off to the left, so we just continued along the field edge. This takes you some way off to the east and you come to a different main road (the A5183, though that wasn't immediately obvious). You can reach the pub by turning left on this road but it's a long way round. So take care at this point!

Take care here:
"[****] (p.61, col.1, last para )
....... Then in 110 150 metres, at
just before the end of the lake on your right-hand side, turn left (back on yourself) on
path 26, the Ver Valley Walk. You are again between two lakes, your direction 340
degrees, on a path of fine gravel."
DON'T turn left 'back on yourself'! There are TWO left turns here, one really does run back almost parallel with the path you've come down - ignore it, and take the gentler left keeping at the 340 degree bearing given. Your way will join the little river going upstream, with the trailer homes on the right, as described.
Double back and get thoroughly lost in the woods, like me.

I found the directions around the two lakes confusing and ended up coming out onto the road a little further south then intended, so I think the directions could be made a little clearer there if possible.