Walks columnist Mike Priestley leaves his boots off this week and dips into a selection of recent books for ramblers

A kindly reader dropped me a line the other week to tell me that he thought I was "an utter wimp and quite pathetic where animals are concerned" - a reference, presumably, to my efforts when out walking to avoid close encounters with fierce dogs and bulls.

Having been accused in such forthright terms of unmanly behaviour, it was reassuring to have my cautious approach vindicated by writer Barry Davies in a splendid little Collins Gem book - Hillwalker's Survival Guide (£4.99).

For the benefit of all other pathetic wimps, here's what Mr Davies has to say about dogs.

"Unleashed dogs, especially those on remote farms, may well run at you and snap at your heels and lower leg. Some dogs will bite into your clothing and maintain their grip; if this is the case, try offering a padded garment to the animal (such as a jacket) to prevent being bitten. A country dog will not normally stray far from its own territory - usually the farm gate - and you should avoid them if at all possible."

He suggests various courses of action, such as standing by a tree when the dog charges, then dodging behind it at the last moment; or racing towards the animal, with arms outstretched, screaming loudly to shake its confidence.

As for bulls...Well, Barry Davies acknowledges that farmers may by law graze them alongside cows (though never alone) in a field which has a right of way running through it. But he seems to be no happier about the arrangement than I am.

"Bulls have in the past caused many deaths and serious injuries to hillwalkers and campers, either through carelessness or lack of respect for the bull's nature," he writes. "Whenever possible, avoid going into any enclosed space or field that contains a bull."

And then he lists a series of guidelines to follow if you find yourself obliged to enter such a field, every one of which I heartily endorse.

l Keep to the edges and keep the bull in your sight the whole time - never turn your back on it.

l If you must pass by the herd, do so at a safe distance, moving carefully and quietly.

l If any cattle approach you, shouting and waving your arms can normally chase off young heifers.

l Check that you have some form of escape route open to you should a bull suddenly appear.

l Keep any dog on a lead.

So there you have it, wimps - sound advice in a little book full of the stuff about every aspect of walking: from clothing and equipment to map-reading and orienteering, from first aid and survival to mountain rescue; from camping stoves to ramblers' rights.

One of the most important sections covers footwear. Wear walking boots, insists Mr Davies. Doc Martens and trainers could land you in trouble. And look after them.

He does well to emphasise this aspect of walking. A well-fitting, well-maintained pair of boots are the most important items in any walker's wardrobe. It's a clich, but true, that if you look after them, they will look after you.

n The Inn Way...to Black Sheep Pubs, by Mark Reid (Innway Publications, £5.95).

Mark Reid has followed the success of his Inn Way (Yorkshire Dales) with a collaboration with Black Sheep Brewery, of Masham, to produce a collection of accounts of 25 walks based on pubs which serve their rather fine ales.

The walks are a pleasant bunch of outings of between six and a dozen miles, scattered throughout the Dales, from Appletreewick in the south to Langthwaite in the north, and stretching westwards to Ingleton.

The maps are efficient, the layout fuss-free. Each step-by-step guide to the walk is preceded by a description of the area through which it passes, packed with well-researched information about places of geographical and historical interest.

n Waterside Walks in Yorkshire, by Len Markham (Countryside Books, £6.95).

Walkers from this area tend to head north or west for their leisure, either up the Dales or into the Pennines, with the occasional foray southwards to the Peak District. But there is plenty of good walking to be had to the East as well, in the territory covered by this book.

It follows rivers - Esk, Ouse, Leven, Seven, Derwent and Humber. And it follows coast routes, too, at Robin Hood's Bay, Cornelian Bay, Cayton Bay and South Landing, with a walk through Goole Docks included. The 20 outings in this book, between 21/2 and 81/2 miles long, are also based on local pubs. The general information and step-by-step instructions are run together in the text although the instructions, being numbered, are easy to follow.

A useful guide to a part of the county which is, by and large, neglected by West Yorkshire walkers.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.