15/04/17 - Lea Valley Walk Stage 4 - Harpenden to Leagrave

Distance - 11.7 Miles
Geocaches - 4
Start - Harpenden Station
Finish - Leagave Station
Pub - The Great Northern, Luton
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3


Here's the end of a walk that kind of accidentally appeared on my walking itinerary.  It started out innocently enough - the first stage from Cheshunt to Limehouse Basin was a lengthy, Geocache laden trek in the city that took good advantage of cheap Virgin train tickets.  Before I knew it, I was heading North and revisiting fine Hertfordshire towns like Ware, Hertford and er, Hatfield.

It got to the point where having found the mouth, I thought I might as well finish it at the source.

And that's how I found myself rambling in Luton.

Despite my warnings, Mrs M is keen to get some miles on her fitbit and joins me. Shivering, we depart the train at Harpenden Station and head to River Lea at Batford Springs.

Picking up the Lea at Batford Spings

Early walking is excellent and presents no navigational challenges.  We follow the river along the abandoned railway line, with only the Thames Water sewage farm spoling the ambiance.  Some discussion about exactly what the mountain of black stuff that was being pushed around by a JCB actually was.

Lea Valley following an abandoned Railway line

There is some drama to be had.  We see a collection of concerned walkers and cyclists - one of whom is menacingly waving around one of the Lea Valley marker posts.  As we get close to the action, we see the problem.  A muntjac deer has got itself painfully wedged between the metal bars of the fence stopping trespass onto the railway line.  They're usually in herds - so either this was the first to attempt or the fattest.   It looks forlorn and is going nowhere fast.

The collected masses have decided that rather than let Mr Marker post try and bend the bars, they will call the Fire Brigade.  1/2 a mile down the track we hear the sirens as Dennis pulls up and six burly firemen (one uncannily like Matt Le Blanc) come past us carrying an assortment of tools.

It quite made Mrs Ms day.   Just in time for me to attempt to ruin it.

OS Maps are fine in the country but Luton is presented as a rather large brown blob.  Following the Lea Valley walk is not too bad, as the signage in the town centre is better than you could hope for.  I wonder how many Lutonians have wondered what these Swans are in the pavement.

Lea Valley Swan

Helping us to Navigate Luton in all its glory

It's not just the path I need to follow, somewhere in the town centre is a Good Beer Guide pub that needs to be ticked off.

The Great Northern, 63 Bute Street, Tribute

As it's only 11:30am, we were unsure whether it would be open.  Signs of life provided initial excitement but this turned out to be a hotel next door.

What do you reckon?  Open or Closed?

With the frosted door and window, it was hard to tell.  We looked at the notice on the door and could only glean that "Toilets were for customers use only".  Sure I saw movement inside, I tentatively opened the door to find a collection of old boys sat at the bar.   And Kylie Minogues "Can't get you out of my head" blasting from the TV tuned into Heart radio.

I can only report things as I find them but the third thing I noticed after old boys and Australian chanteuses was the overbearing smell of urine.  It was enough to make your eyes sting.   I look at Mrs M, hoping her hayfever could have masked the smell.  She gives me the look that says "Its not Hayfever season".

Now the two ramblers have crossed the threshold, there's no way we can make an escape unless we were to be accused of toilet theft.  I order the drinks and take stock of my surroundings.  A one room pub, serving one real ale, bench seats and rather nice Victorian green tiling.

The long bench seat of the Great Northern

Mrs M still glaring at me, I tweet other beer tickers to compare experiences.   Of course, Retired Martin has been there.  He blogged a rather fairer assessment.

Two hours after leaving Harpenden, I do need to use the closely guarded facilities.  And here's the thing. They smell much better than the bar.

After much deliberation and with some sadness, we can only conclude the smell must have been coming from one of the old boys.

I was hoping that this would placate Mrs M and she wouldn't blame me too much for the choice of mid walk refreshment.  However, on getting home and updating my pub ticking spreadsheet, I cannot find my Good Beer Guide anywhere.

On with the Walk

The pavement swans lead us out of Luton and into Wardown Park.  The Lea has been dammed to make a boating lake, wide enough to require a suspension bridge.

Wandown Park

Another couple of miles through leafy surburbia, watching the Lea get thinner and thinner before we come to Leagrave Station and a handily placed McDonalds.  The source is 1/2 a mile on and I feel I should complete the odyssey and see how it is marked.

Mrs M raids my rucksack to get the shrapnel together for a McFlurry.

The Narrowing Lea

The Source of the Lea - 50 Miles to Limehouse Basin