Malling Forest route now open (7.6.23)

We are pleased to report that the Way has reopened through Malling Forest subject to three cautions:

a) You are strongly advised to obtain and use the Rob Roy Way guidebook (mapping at 1:50,000) and/or a larger scale route map and/or online mapping and/or our GPX file rather than try to rely on the waymarking which is inadequate in places and may be disrupted by felling work.

b) A short, temporary diversion has been marked out through the worst section of windblown trees: this is only about 100 m long and runs parallel to the Way north-easterly. It is shown in blue at the upper centre of this map clip.

Following a report from a walker who had bad experiences there on 11.6.23 we have sent waymarker discs to the National Park and their Recreation & Access Advisor is going to instal them this week (ending 17 June).  If you are not a walker who can navigate through forest (or accompanied by someone who can) we suggest you may want to postpone this section. Note that the detour is only about 100-150 m and you need to maintain a north-easterly heading through dense forest, so be prepared for slow going. For more detail, we recommend the online route map here which you can zoom in on, and switch into satellite view.

c) Forestry work is still taking place near the Way so walkers and cyclists must follow site signage and any directions from forest workers e.g. there may be movement of harvesting machinery over access ramps that cross the Way.

The forestry company will later have to clear also the lower windblown section. Since the Way passes through it, this second phase will necessitate closing a section of the RRW for a short time. We hope to be alerted well ahead of this closure.