Ford Ranger Supercab - Mooch

As you read earlier in the mag, I was offered a spot on the new Raptor launch, but as I didn’t have a press car, and the launch was in Arundel, which is not far from Portsmouth and 5 hours away, I asked the PR team if they had a spare Ranger for the journey.

I could have asked for a Focus, or Fiesta in which I could have achieved decent mpg, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I can’t go green laning in either of those two.

I was given a Supercab version, and literally, the moment it arrived I threw my overnight bag in the back, filled a flask with coffee and set off for the tedious drive to the south coast. From the M6, I took the M42, M40, M25 and a myriad of back roads until I arrived at the White Swan Inn in Arundel for my overnight stay. For the return trek I opted for the A35, as I despise the M25!

The Ranger’s 2.0-litre 167bhp, 6-speed manual box made light work of the 552 mile round trip, and at average motorway speeds it managed to get me there and back on a full tank, with just 13 miles to spare. According to the computer, it achieved just over 37mpg - not bad, considering.

With the Raptor launch out of the way I had quite a few green lanes I wanted to explore in the Peak District, most that I’d never driven before. So after an hour or so checking both All Terrain UK’s Smart Trail and GLASS’s Trailwise 2, I had my route sorted, and with a few butties packed, another flask of coffee and my ActionTrax strapped down, off I ventured to Derbyshire.

Lane 1

TW2 - SK0275-02

ATUK - DY 033

Heading south to north, this is the ideal warm-up lane, and by that I mean a non-damaging singletrack lane that offers lovely views across the valley. That said, despite the ruts not looking too bad, they were at times fairly deep, which in turn caused some clangs from the Ranger’s nether regions as it scraped along the high centre. A slightly modified 4x4 with taller tyres, like Deux Smurf, wouldn’t be affected.

Within a few hundred yards the ruts calm themselves down, and I was able to enjoy the cracking views on offer. Apart from one muddy section the majority of the lane has a good hard base and should be drivable in all conditions. In fact I didn’t really need to engage 4WD in the Ranger, though I suspect driving upwards towards the southern gate would be a different matter.

Something to consider if you’re out in convoy is that both ends of the lane are next to the main road and therefore parking space whilst someone is opening the gate is limited. This is especially so at the northern end that’s on sharp and fast bend.

Lane 2

TW2 - SK0277-02

ATUK - DY 1089

Again, starting from the southern end this lane begins flanked between two stone walls, then after the second gate, opens up to fields used for grazing. It didn’t take long for the wooly locals to surround the Ranger. I suspect the farmer who feeds the sheep may have a Ranger as they probably recognised the sound of the Ford diesel as a chuck wagon, and came charging towards me!

Avoiding the livestock, it isn’t long before the lane takes a sharp right and descends into the valley. At this point the lane becomes a little bit rocky with a few minor steps to negotiate that flexed the Ranger’s suspension.

Width wise it varies from being unable to get out of the Ranger to take a photo to wide open spaces. If you’re in a smaller 4x4 some of the rocks and steps could catch you out, so be careful of your wheel placement.

To add a bit of spice, the next time I drive this lane it’ll be in the opposite direction.

Lane 3

TW2 - SK0179-03

ATUK - DY 034

Just as I was about to embark on the next lane I heard the rumbling of motorbikes coming from the opposite direction, and because it starts off quite narrow, I reversed down a bit to let them past.

After the usual nods they stopped, looked at the Ranger and suggested that it might be a tad too wide for the lane as there are some particularly scratchy bushes encroaching the lane. With that in mind, and because PR teams get a little upset when press cars are returned damaged, I parked up and went for a walk to see how bad it actually was.

There were some gorse bushes along the way, but I figured the lane was just about wide enough to get the Ranger through without causing too many go-faster stripes, so I headed back to the Ranger.

With Combs Reservoir down on my right, the views were outstanding, and there are a few places where you can park up for a brew and enjoy the solitude.

Overall the surface is fairly solid with a few shallow but long puddles to splash through, and a couple of off camber sections to avoid the scratches. As this mooch took place at the beginning of March I would expect it to be more overgrown come the summer months, and therefore I would be tempted to avoid it, especially in a press car.

As you near the end of the lane the scenery changes as you begin to descend into a wooded area with more errant branches protruding from the side ready to spoil your paintwork, so be careful. The surface on this section is a little damp and if you’re driving upward I’m guessing a bit more of a challenge, but all was good in the Ranger.

Lane 4

TW2 - SK0779-04, SK0879-01, SK0978-04

ATUK - DY 1122

Reading the feedback on TW2, lane 4 is described as an easy and pleasant lane, and certainly worth a drive. So starting from the Donkey Sanctuary, just off the A6, I gave it a go.

Due to a quarry the old RoW no longer exists, and in its place, skirting around the gaping hole in the ground, is a new road that is made from hard packed limestone and planings.

Despite being quite uneven, with a fair number of potholes and blind summits, it’s relatively easy going. I’d say it’s drivable in any vehicle on decent tyres, though one of the hills is quite steep and could pose a challenge if it’s wet.

On the subject of rain, just be aware that due to the many undulations, after a good downpour I suspect this will lead to many deep puddles that could catch a smaller vehicle by surprise.

Driving from west to east this is another lane that didn’t require me to engage 4WD, but due to the views it’s certainly worth the detour if you’re in the area.

Lane 5

TW2 - SK1177-03

ATUK - DY 1156

All of the lanes I had driven so far were new to me, but within just a few yards this lane looked quite familiar; I realised I'd driven it previously back in 2019, and it formed part of an article .

Driving from west to east the lane heads along on a gentle downhill single track towards a tall rock face where you take a sharp left.

At this point I pulled over as a large contingent of walkers, who were mostly cheerful and chatty passed me by. That was until around a dozen trial riders both overtook and weaved through them and sped off into the distance kicking up dirt and stones in their wake. Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve been that embarrassed by a like-minded group of enthusiasts, they could’ve showed some respect.

Once they’d walked by I continued, and from here the lane takes a steepish right hand turn that’s also lightly offcamber. Once you reach the top the surface turns to large cobbles which by all accounts, when wet or icy can become incredibly slippery, so if you’re up there in winter, take care. It continues like this for quite a while and I remember the last time I was up here in Deux Smurf I was wishing for more supple suspension, or that I had let some of the air out of the tyres as I swear I could feel every filling rattling loose! The Ranger on the other hand took it all it its stride, but being fair I hadn’t given anything to challenge it, at least not yet.

Upon reaching the main road I was 5 lanes down with a further 7 to go, so I figured it would be a good time to park up for some food, and reflect on what a cracking day of laning I had enjoyed so far, and that weirdly, despite being a Saturday I had only seen one other 4x4, and just that one group of mainly pleasant walkers.

In next month’s issue I'll tell you about the lanes in which I had to engage the rear locker, and you may read about why I felt the need to say sorry to the Ford PR team.