In this issue: (click on a title to jump straight to the article)

• The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk - 2007 Winners
• Award-winning pubs and where to find them
• Winning Pub Walks to Download for Free
• Christmas Gift Ideas for Pub Walkers
• Dates for your Diary - special events, festivals and deadlines

The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk - 2007 Winners

Readers of our last newsletter will know all about the first-ever search for The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk launched by MyFavouritePubWalks.com earlier this year. Well, entries are in, votes cast and judging completed so we are kicking off this newsletter with a selection from the final Top 10.

The complete list of The Nation's "Top 10 Favourites" with full details including pictures and routes can be found at MyFavouritePubWalks.com where the winning entries can all be downloaded free by members. Non-members can download a selection for free too by using the coupons included later in this newsletter.

So, where are the favourite pub walks? With the entries being so varied it was always going to be a difficult choice for people to make. Is it the best pub for wholesome food, for real ale, for good service or for location? Or is it the walk that makes all the difference? If so, do we want one that is accessible to all or away from tourist areas, a moderate climb for spectacular views or a riverside stroll? Well, here are five of the Top 10 favourites ...

Overall Winner - WEST BAY, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, England
With its coastal beauty and exhilarating climbs, the Jurassic Coast offers fine views stretching over countryside and out as far as Start Point in Devon and to the Isle of Portland. The West Bay makes a perfect stop especially if you enjoy seafood accompanied by some local Palmers ales.

Close Second - WYKEHAM ARMS, Winchester, Hampshire, England
A varied walk around the ancient capital of Wessex including not only the river and cathedral but 'King Arthur's Round Table' as well. Then on to St Catherine's Hill with a stop at The Wykeham Arms, an 18th Century award-winning pub with excellent food, fine wine and real ales.

Runner Up - BLUE BELL INN, Halkyn, Flintshire, Wales
Halkyn Mountain is a 1,000 hectare common with stimulating walking and breathtaking views shared by The Blue Bell Inn which is situated close to the summit. Voted Regional Cider Pub of the Year, the inn also offers buffalo stew to warm you after a bracing winter walk on the mountain.

Runner Up - RED LION, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, England
An easy walk through the picturesque Grantchester Meadows and then onwards to explore the lovely village of Grantchester with its thatched cottages and quintessential Englishness. The Red Lion is ideally located on the river, serving traditional pub food and quality real ales.

Runner Up - SAILOR'S RETURN, East Chaldon, Dorset, England
Beautiful Dorset rolling downland, agricultural land and sea views with an optional detour to Durdle Door and the beach. This circular walk includes a half-way stop at the popular Sailor’s Return. This coastal area is part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site.

So that's just a selection and, as we say, full details of all the Top 10 can be downloaded from MyFavouritePubWalks.com. Many thanks to everyone who entered and also to The Ramblers Association, Ebury Press (The Good Pub Guide) and Blacks for generously donating additional prizes. A list of the prizewinners can be found on the competition page.

What do you think makes a great pub walk? Is the pub or the walk the most important element or do you consider them as equal? Please write and tell us what you look for in a pub walk by emailing to leigh@myfavouritepubwalks.com.

If you have any other favourite pub walks that you would like to share then please don't wait until next year's competition - yes, we have decided to make it an annual competition! And to encourage you not to wait, we will enter all new pub walks submitted before 31 December into a prize draw for a copy of "The Walker's Companion" published by and donated by The Ramblers Association. That's in addition to receiving one year's free membership for each pub walk you submit of course, plus a share in the site's profits based upon how many times your walks are downloaded.

Award-winning Pubs and where to find them

Awards are aimed at rewarding excellence so here in this regular feature we will include a range of pubs who have demonstrated excellence in an area that is of interest to pub walkers - families, food, real ale or simply customer service for example.

We hope that by us highlighting them it help us all to track them down and give them additional custom. Even better, why not use this list as a source for ideas on where to create your next pub walk? Either way, please email us with your experiences at leigh@myfavouritepubwalks.com.

This section is a regular feature of The Pub Walker which we will then add to a special page on MyFavouritePubWalks.com for future reference. Our selection of winners below come from The Morning Advertiser which is a leading trade magazine and internet news site, as well as from The Campaign for Real Ale's latest publication the Good Beer Guide 2008.

Morning Advertiser (Leading Pub Trade Magazine) Awards 2007

PUB NAME	CATEGORY	LOCATION
The Cow	Pub of the Year (Owned)	Parkstone, Dorset
Stansfield Arms	Pub of the Year (Tenanted)	Apperley Bridge, West Yorkshire
Blackfriar	Pub of the Year (Managed)	Blackfriars, London EC4
Church House Inn	Community Pub of the Year	Bollington, Chesire
Axe and Compasses	Food Pub of the Year	Arkesden, Essex
Ley Arms	Village Pub of the Year	Kenn, Devon
Kings Head	Family Pub of the Year	Letheringsett, Norfolk
Cook & Barker Inn	Gastropub of the Year	Newton-on-the-moor, Northumberland

CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2008 - The Only Ten Pubs to Appear in Every Edition for 35 Years

PUB NAME	LOCATION	PUB NAME	LOCATION
Star Tavern	6 Belgrave Mews West, London (Belgravia) SW1X 8HT	New Inn	The Hill, Kilmington, Devon, EX13 7SF
Buckingham Arms	62 Petty France, London (Westminster) SW1H 9EU	Square & Compass	Worth Matravers, Dorset, BH19 3LF
Sow & Pigs	14 Church Square, Toddington, Beds, LU5 6AA	Roscoe Head	24 Roscoe Street, Liverpool, L1 2SX
Queens Head	Fowlmere Road, Newton, Cambs. CB2 5PG	Star Inn	Netherton, Northumberland, NE65, 7HD
Blue Anchor	50 Coinagehall Street, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8EU	Cherry Tree	Forge Road, Tintern, Gwent, Wales, NP16 5TH

Please do send any comments to leigh@myfavouritepubwalks.com if you try any of these award-winning pubs and would like to give feedback.

Winning Pub Walks to Download for Free

This section is for our non-members who enjoy "The Pub Walker" but have neither taken the plunge and paid for membership yet nor earnt complimentary membership by submitting a pub walk. Here you can try out our website for free by downloading selected pub walks using the coupons shown below. These coupons are valid until 30 November 2007 and can only be redeemed for the pub walks shown. You will see that these are four of the winners featured in "The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk" article above.

Coupon No. 192-301107 - WEST BAY, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, England

Coupon No. 202-301107 - WYKEHAM ARMS, Winchester, Hampshire, England

Coupon No. 193-301107 - BLUE BELL INN, Halkyn, Flintshire, Wales

Coupon No. 172-301107 - RED LION, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, England

To download for free, click on the pub name above, then order the pub walk and enter the Coupon Number during the checkout process. No payment is required so if you arrive at the Paypal page, hit the back arrow and look for the box at the very bottom of the previous page.