ELRC classic road run
The Essex Land Rover Club’s first-ever classic road run is a great success
THE ESSEX Land Rover Club has traditionally been a trialling and greenlaning club, but in recent years charity support events such as marshalling Race For Life, Rover Rescue and raising money for the Air Ambulance at local shows have been as popular, but it seemed like there was still space for another type of event that would bring together the club’s classic vehicles and their owners for a day out in the Essex countryside.
The club’s directors, Ralph and Sue Coulson, carried out some research on a route, including a dry run taking in some of the eateries along the way – it’s such a hardship sometimes.
The chosen day arrived for the first ELRC Classic Road Run, and the weather gods had been kind – it was very pleasant indeed. The group of members kicked off proceedings with breakfast at The Hare in Roxwell near Chelmsford, where the club holds its monthly evenings.
The group consisted of four Series Is and three Defenders from the mid-1990s. After breakfast and ready to set off they had their first and only casualty of the day, the brakes on the 1949 Series I decided not to play ball and so we had to say goodbyes to Ian and daughter Natalie.
The convoy then headed out into rural Essex along quiet lanes through the Rodings, the Easters, Dunmow and Thaxted, where harvesting was well underway and the fields were golden and stacked with bales.
The ancient town of Thaxted, with its timber-framed houses, looked lovely as the small convoy of classic Land Rovers meandered through. Leading the way, Ralph and Sue felt it was a real treat to see the classics strung out behind them.
Next, they headed onto Bardfield and the Blue Egg, where the sausage rolls and slices of cake were anything but small. All parked up it was time for a few photos and general chat about the ages and pedi-
grees of the Series Is. The oldest vehicle in the remaining group belonged to Paul, an 80-inch registered in 1951 – it had been recently restored after many years and only done 50 miles before Paul and Karen had set off that morning.
John and Ondri’s 86-inch from 1956 had a bling of brass trim around the headlights, and even on the rivets. Completing the Series line-up, Terry’s signwritten 109-inch from 1958 was one of the last to come off the production line.
Ralph and Sue took the lead again in their 90 and the convoy headed off again to Widdington, close to the M11, but the small roads and surrounding countryside make you feel that you were in the middle of nowhere.
Next was a turn off up a small farm track to Prior’s Hall Barn. Managed by English Heritage it’s free to park and enter. Said to be the finest surviving medieval barn in Eastern England, its huge, empty interior feels almost cathedral-like
and it seemed a fitting place for a classic Land Rover to park.
The route then took a sort of U-turn as the group headed homewards. The final stop was at Cammas Hall Fruit Farm, for a final cuppa and another under-bonnet check before everyone went their separate ways. All in all, it proved to be an excel-
lent day out in the countryside with the opportunity to see some classic metal and chat Land Rovers.
The feedback from those that attended was good, and with interest from others who couldn’t make this one, we’re sure that the Classic Road Run will now be a regular fixture on the ELRC calendar.