Off roading in the midlands?

[mr tommo]

My dad picked up his new Discovery 4 a couple of weeks ago and he wants to take it off road. Nothing too crazy just yet but I was just wondering if anyone around this area (Staffordshire) has been off roading and could recommend some places/routes?

I've never looked into this and wouldn't know where to start.

Thanks

 

[[TW]Fox]

Why not go on the Land Rover Experience? It's just south of Birmingham IIRC.

 

[Princey]

Yeah its in Solihull.

 

[[TW]Fox]

There is one in the Malverns as well, and also Cheshire. Advantage of this is he'll get proper instruction and he'll get to do it in somebody elses Disco 4

 

[Howard]

Have a look on the council website or just do a general google search for maps / locations of public byways - you're allowed to drive along these and they can be great fun Just remember to take it slow and he'll be fine - don't tear along, or it'll end in tears

 

[mikeh501]

Theres a couple of pay and play areas in staffordshire, they generally run once a month. If you want some very easy muddy tracks then try Lymes Road which goes from Keele to Whitmore road.

 

[mr tommo]

Why not go on the Land Rover Experience? It's just south of Birmingham IIRC.

Jeez how on earth did I forget about this. When he ordered the car the salesman mentioned that we would be invited along on a land rover experience day. Thanks I'll get him to give the dealership a ring this weekend.

Have a look on the council website or just do a general google search for maps / locations of public byways - you're allowed to drive along these and they can be great fun Just remember to take it slow and he'll be fine - don't tear along, or it'll end in tears

That sounds like what he has been after. I know he's very keen to take his own Disco off road aswell so I'll get him to contact the Land Rover dealership about the experience day and meanwhile we can go out searching for byways

Theres a couple of pay and play areas in staffordshire, they generally run once a month. If you want some very easy muddy tracks then try Lymes Road which goes from Keele to Whitmore road.

Just googling that now thank you

 

[Howard]

Not sure I'd advocate taking a brand new Disco to a pay-and-play site, they're usually quite "intense" compared to your average green lane/byway

 

[Janesy B]

You'll end up getting mud in every crevice if you do a pay and play day, I mean both every crevice on the vehicle and your body.

 

[Slime101]

Ignore JanseyB - he clearly doesnt have a clue.

Did you want to go green laning, or did you want pay and play sites. I can recommend lots of either in the staffs/derby area with lanes ranging from flat and wide, to small and twisty, muddy, rocky whatever you like as ive driven most of them several times

 

[Howard]

 

[Sam]

I wouldent want to take a new disco green laning howard, the green lanes around farnham, guildford and tillford can be hard work in a fully prepped defender. Think of the overgrown stuff ruining his paint work

Weve turned over my mates discovery down one in guildford before now at 1am in the morning, 2 of us trying to roll it back over wasnt pleasent

 

[Howard]

A friend and I regularly go green-laning around Guildford (devil's punchbowl ) and Dorking in his Defender 90. Only mods are a couple-of-inch lift and all terrain tyres. There are a few hairy bits but mostly find if you know what you're doing (read: don't go along like a bull in a china shop) and know the laws of physics

 

[mr tommo]

Ignore JanseyB - he clearly doesnt have a clue.

Did you want to go green laning, or did you want pay and play sites. I can recommend lots of either in the staffs/derby area with lanes ranging from flat and wide, to small and twisty, muddy, rocky whatever you like as ive driven most of them several times

Im sure he just wanted to go green laning and with the car being brand new nothing particularly hairy

 

[griffo_001]

Check out mroc.co.uk, I'm a member and they do a couple of play and plays a year, but these are properly laid out courses with "experts" (Read: people in knackered Series 1's like me, who enjoy telling people what they've done wrong, we'll always be nice about it mind and we're always happy to ride shotgun a talk you through it) and contain "easy" routes. They also do TYRO's (Try your vehicle offroad) which are greenlaning level difficultly with expects on hand to help out.

O/T they also do RTV's are for road taxed vehicles, but to be competitive you've gotta not care about the body work, have a good few inches lift and be running mud terrain tyres, CCV's are most extreme again with most being 3.9/3.5 V8's with full cages. Another step up again is the Comp Safari, which is like the CCV, but longer, and against the clock. Theres one tomorrow not far from Stratford if you wanna come down and spectate (Always welcome )

An 02 plate Rangie came to our last play day, got stuck a bit, but they seemed to enjoy themselves (Its the road-biased tyres more than anything) The Series is mine btw (The rest of the photos on my flickr are all MROC RTV's)

I must warn you though, the last guy to show up to our play day in a Disco 3 came back to the RTV the next week in a £2k fleebay special to play more seriously

Also check out the Land Rover magazines, most usually do a greenlane of the month type thing. I would however advise finding a friend to greenlaning with - If you get stuck in that Disco, you're on road tyres, without a winch or a ground anchor and inaccessible to the AA ie up **** creek without a paddle.

If you're doing the Experience (Highly recommended) try the Eastnor castle in Herefordshire site, its bigger and better than the Solihull plant IMO

To summarise all that waffle:

Most play days = Bad for a D4 ~ £20
Structured, club run play days = Great fun, will learn a lot if he asks the marshalls ~£20 IIRC
Greenlaning = Easy and fun, BUT TAKE A FRIEND IN ANOTHER 4X4 ~FREE
TYROs = As simple as greenlaning, but others there to help/advise ~Not sure tbh
RTV's CCV's and Comps = Not suitable for a D4 at all, but great to watch ~£20 to compete, free to watch

Next TYRO is 5th of April at Eastnor Castle (The home of Land Rover)
Next MROC play day is the 16th of May, I should be there, Uni work-load permitting

 

[Vauxmad]

I recently bought a shogun to take off road but still havent had chance yet. Theres a few pay&play sites local there are which two spring to mind one is Tick Hill in weston coyney (i think its the last sunday of the month) and one in silverdale (Second sunday of the month).

Tomorror there is the Indoor Offroad Show at Bingley Hall in Stafford which look like its going to be a good day out!

 

[mr tommo]

Thanks for that post I will get him to read it all

His best friend has a brand new Defender so the idea was for them to go off somewhere together.

Again thanks!

 

[griffo_001]

Thanks for that post I will get him to read it all

His best friend has a brand new Defender so the idea was for them to go off somewhere together.

Again thanks!

In that case greenlaning will be fine. Grab some extra friends to come and spot for him (Check you're not gunna hit anything) as I'd HATE to bend a brand new Disco

General advice for greenlaning:
Walk the lane first, part of the fun is being "out there" and check its drivable / that you feel confident driving it.
Find your tow points before you start.
Use the terrain response to start with (If you do the Experience they might teach you the basics in a 90, which you dad will love, everyone does )
Most importantly its NOT a race, slow and steady will usually get further than a bit of a heavy right foot - a big 3L derv will crawl along in first gear, low range, happy as Larry.
Leave all gates as you find them and so on, if you come up against an angry farmer back down, apologise, even if you're not in the wrong, and run away (there are some who believe that, although its a public road, that you're not allowed on it )
If a byway is closed don't use it, some people do, and end up ruining it for all of us (Some councils are no looking to ban 4x4s from byways as a result )

As for kit: Tow ropes and a shovel will do to start with, if you're on your own I'd want a ground anchor for some self-recovery, food and a hot drink is always a nice addition if its raining and/or cold Rubber floor mats would be a good idea just to keep the insides in good condition

 

[Howard]

Leave all gates as you find them and so on, if you come up against an angry farmer back down, apologise, even if you're not in the wrong, and run away (there are some who believe that, although its a public road, that you're not allowed on it )
If a byway is closed don't use it, some people do, and end up ruining it for all of us (Some councils are no looking to ban 4x4s from byways as a result )

Also might want to add - DO NOT deviate from the path and damage any of the surrounding environment. This'll just serve to get the green lanes closed by the council / Environment Agency faster

 

[4T5]

Theres a couple of pay and play areas in staffordshire,.

Not a good idea in a Brand new motor.




You need to buy a couple of Ordnance survey maps as they will mark out the lanes & then search them on Google maps & then reccy them.

My Tip.
Don't go alone.