If it’s closed for any reason, you’ll need to continue east on Station Road and take London Hill north under the railway access The Approach. There is now a nice off-street stretch taking in a part of Wheatley Wood until you turn north onto the quiet road of St John’s Drive - it’s easy to miss this and carry on west on the path, so be alert! Then it's road walking on the quiet [old] Chelmsford Road that the A1245 replaced. I would be minded in future to not take the north turn at the hedge line but to carry on west on the footpath to Old London Road by the Chichester Hotel, turn north on this road for a while before taking the path east over a footbridge and rejoin the Slow Way there. It’s road walking on Old London Road, but it’s a low-traffic route. On the other side, it's a footpath and quiet road detour until you have to dash across this road again back to its south side. (The England Coast Path proposes a pavement route on the south side of the A132 which will avoid these crossings - so look out for that being implemented. Walking beside that road on pavement will be unpleasant but safer.)....

James Piers Taylor

I walked in early April on a fine day travelling east-west from Rochford to Rayleigh, I was planning on doing Rayroc one but I checked out the section of Rayroc two where they differ. I liked this section, I could see where paths had been wet previously, as when it was surveyed, but they were dry when I walked and I had no problems. It has more views south over the countryside than the woodland-bound Rayroc one....

James Piers Taylor

(I also checked out the section of Rayroc one which differs from this route. It seemed good to me, I could see where paths had been wet previously, as when it was surveyed, but they were dry when I walked and I had no problems.)...

James Piers Taylor

This route cannot be completed as there is no river crossing between South Woodham Ferrers and Hullbridge. Even at low tide, attempting to ford the river is unsafe. Photos below show the river at this point....

James Piers Taylor

After crossing the A130,doublegate Lane is a concreted path leading to Doublegate Farm. When you cross the entrance to Wick Country Park you should be able to continue along the field to the roundabout at Salcott Cres, but this path has been deliberately sabotaged : The entrance to the path is completely overgrown with hawthorn, and just inside there is a manmade mound of earth blocking what was the path....

Christopher Collins

Rayleigh's picture-postcard parish church is near the start and is well-worth a peek (photos 1 & 2) before you head through the outskirts to pick up the path (photos 3 & 4) leading to Hockley Woods....

sherbie

Photo 1 shows where you break away from Wickford High Street, by an estate agents. Photo 4 illustrates where the route takes you away from the trucks and gravel pits onto a bridleway, shortly before crossing the A130....

sherbie

It’s a delightful quiet green route most of the way, no refreshment stops, so we started with second breakfast at Rayleigh before setting off....

Jane Taylor

As in route description- we actually walked the ‘alternative’ way into Rayleigh, crossing the railway at the station (which feels a bit cheeky) and going up the Mount to see what’s there....

Jane Taylor

This route as currently shown involves (in my opinion) an unsafe crossing of the A127 - a very busy dual carriageway....

Snail44

We only followed to battlesbridge but was very accurate up to that point....

KR5

This route will not work as there is no crossing on the river crouch at that point...

KR5

River Crouch crossing between Ferry Road, Hullbridge and Marsh Farm Road, SWF does NOT exist!!! First river crossing on foot is upstream at Battlesbridge road bridge - there is NO crossing downstream other than the foot ferry at BOC....

John Myers