It’s a common complaint that there are too many 4x4s in the capital, and that SUVs should be reserved for the countryside. As a London resident, I feel the slight on the capital’s SUV drivers is not entirely deserved. Navigating the city can be like a jungle, with aggressive speed bumps testing the suspension of your vehicle – something soothed by an SUV’s comfort and elevated viewpoint
Yet there’s a situation where those city and country worlds can come together. I’ve planned a trip that explores the full potential of an SUV, in both urban and rural settings, all the while following in the footsteps of travellers across history. My vehicle of choice comes from luxury rental car company The OUT, which specialises in Land Rover products. On the day I leave, The OUT delivers one of its top-of-the-range models – a gleaming black Range Rover – to my door in London, eliminating the usual rent-a-car rigmarole.
The model I am driving is a plug-in hybrid version of the car, and the initial journey from London was almost completely covered under serenely quiet, electric power, being just over the 70-mile electric-only range. My journey will, eventually, take me to the Range Rover’s spiritual home, in the grounds of Eastnor Castle. But first is a glamorous overnight pit stop 90 minutes outside the capital in postcard-perfect Burford.
I’m staying one night at Bull, a historic inn that’s been recently refurbished by owner Matthew Freud to add 18 luxurious new bedrooms. I opt for dinner at Horn, Bull’s signature restaurant, which provides a plate of Hereford steak tagliata. The next day’s breakfast is enjoyed in Bull’s bay window, watching as the high street wakes up.
The second half of the trip offers some of the Cotswolds’ greatest hits, featuring villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Upper and Lower Slaughter, before heading into Herefordshire. Approaching my destination, I turn a corner and there it is. A medieval fortress…or, at least, what appears to be one. Eastnor Castle is a mock-Norman castle constructed in 1812 by the 1st Earl Somers. It remains a private house owned by James Hervey-Bathurst, who can trace his lineage back to the 1st Earl and, with the help of his daughter Imogen, is now developing the castle into a destination-oriented brand.
Each room is a distinct delight to explore; the Long Library is a standout, as is the Billiards Room complete with a giant bearskin. The castle can be taken over for a private event, giving you access to all 12 bedrooms, and it also serves as a wedding venue and film set – merging the two recently for the wedding of Shiv and Tom Wambsgans in Succession. Additional accommodation is available at lodges scattered throughout the grounds.
It’s those grounds that provide the link to Range Rover and its conception. Every Land Rover product produced since 1962 has been tested at Eastnor, and much of the initial testing and development for the first Range Rover was conducted here as well. The concept was the comfort and luxury of a saloon car, the road holding of a high-performance vehicle, the practicality of an estate car and, of course, the go-anywhere ability of a Land Rover. This resulted in a model that has enjoyed over 50 years of success and inspired countless imitators, all while owing a little gratitude to Eastnor’s rugged terrain.
Today, Eastnor is also home to the Land Rover Experience, where the public can hone their cross-country driving skills. My guide and general off-road Yoda is Derek Swan, or “Swanny” as you are obliged to call him. He provides calm and expert guidance through the 5,000-acre maze of tracks winding over the off-road parkland.
Going fast on a racetrack is exhilarating, but tackling a multi-surface off-road course is more satisfying. Swanny encourages me to attempt seemingly unimaginable routes, like an ascent up a steep, slippery bank. Still, the Range Rover is more than capable, des-pite the incongruous feeling of driving an SUV worth over £100,000 through rocks, gravel and mud. Also fun is testing the Range Rover’s 900mm wading depth by driving into flooded, sunken lanes. But what makes it more remarkable is that I soon settle into the challenge with a near-nonchalant rhythm – albeit in heated, massage seats.
Back in the city, I have a newfound respect for the 4×4. Two days in the countryside and, with the help of The OUT and Land Rover’s finest, I have experienced a well-trodden journey made by many over the centuries. I’ve merely traded horses for horsepower.
And in a way, the Range Rover is a modern equivalent of a show horse – parading the streets of London on ceremonial duty and then being let loose in the country to get a bit mucky. Fortunately for me, I don’t even have to clean my steed as The OUT’s driver is at my door to pick up the keys and take the car away. Now that’s service.
Words by David Green
Photography by Charlie Thomas
