DISCOVER OFF-ROADING
Q
u
o
t
e
“Discovery 3
is one of the most
sophisticated and
capable off-road
vehicles available”
–CW
e
OFF-
x
R
p
OA
er
D
ience
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE AN OFF-ROAD VEHICLE TO TO TOW A
CARAVAN, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THEM. CLIVE AND KIM WHITE
DROVE DEEP INTO THE MIRE WITH LAND ROVER’S OFF-ROAD EXPERTS,
TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT MAKES THESE VEHICLES SO POPULAR
ABOVE, FROM
LEFT : Ken Knight,
Roger Crathorne
and pupil Kim
A
S WE turned into the Bothy car Eastnor Castle’s Land Rover Experience Bothy, a former shooting lodge
park, a sight to make any Land parking area. sympathetically restored and transformed
Rover enthusiast’s heart skip a beat For anyone who knows something into an impressive reception, conference
White
unfolded before us. Defenders, Freelanders, about Land Rover, Eastnor Castle in and catering facility. Such is the LRE’s
Discoverys and Range Rovers, too many to Herefordshire is a familiar name. It’s a success, there are now Experience centres
count, all pristine in their silver livery, were Land Rover testing site (the original Range from the south of England to Scotland,
neatly lined up within the stone walls of Rover underwent much development including Northern Ireland and at the
here) and has become the flagship centre Freelander/Jaguar X-Type factory at
of the famous and highly-respected Land Halewood and Land Rover’s Solihull home
Rover Experience off-road training (both of which also offer factory tours).
courses. When I was last at Eastnor, some It all started when Land Rover engineer,
years ago, we were entertained in the Roger Crathorne, became manager of the
castle itself, though I can appreciate its demonstration team, the purpose of which
resident Hervey-Bathurst family was to show the vehicles’ off-road
preferring not to have muddy-booted capabilities to the press and potential
off-roadies tramping across their finest customers including politicians and royal
Wilton on a regular basis. Nevertheless, personages. Roger’s belief has always been
we were graciously given a tour of this that if you show people what a Land Rover
remarkable building. can do, they’ll invariably buy the product;
These days, though, LRE’s HQ is at the as well as drive it properly and with respect
60 DISCOVER TOURING
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