Ozleworth: a remote enclave of Gloucestershire where preferred transport is held together with caked-on manure, bailer twine and optimism.
But this is the sort of nitty-gritty that spawned Land Rover. A tough military-esque workhorse, in 1948 it slid into the gap between tractor and town shuttle, spotting the emerging postwar market and plugging it with style. For sheep-farmer Len Ballinger, driving a Landie is a way of life.
Manners Farm has 1,000 acres of pasture scattered over a 25-mile radius, accommodating 5,000-plus head of sheep. That spells long hours for Len, his wife, Sue, plus chief sheepdog Donald, deputies Scamp, Charlie and Bobster, not forgetting Sam and Sybil, the trusty terriers. And after three decades of brand loyalty, Len's current 1994 Defender 90 turbodiesel pick up has Old Faithful status: "It's a superb vehicle - it's covered 170,000 miles plus, running at around 30mpg."
Len says he wouldn't have touched the "gutless" more recent, five-cylinder diesel generation, but he's open-minded about the new Defender: "I know it's got the Ford Transit 2.4-litre engine and I have heard good reports."
But times have changed since Len's current wheels first rolled out and a new doublecab generation has sunk its wheels firmly into the rural market - with clear success. So here's our Tiscali challenge: in the traditional corner stands the �28,395 Defender 110 Station Wagon, fettled in top-end XS trim and, as part of the Utility specification, a solid box back. At �20,352, Mitsubishi's L200 faces up to it with a price advantage: being some �8,000 less, the Japanese contender is off to a robust start.
After two days, which vehicle is plugging mud better? So far, Len's been living in the Landy and his early verdict is a relief to Solihull's strategy of not fixing an unbroken design: "It's fabulous on the whole - hitched or unhitched, the engine is solid; it pulls in a way that the five-cylinder never managed." Len's not happy with the longer 110's dimensions off-road though: "I'm used to approach angles from the wheel of the 90 model which simply can't be contemplated in this version."
But what of the cabin? While the big change Land Rover has made by removing the central front seat doesn't go down too well - "If three of us go on a job we could always jump in and talk easily on the way, now one's got to go in the back" - he rates the quieter ride, the extra oddment storage areas and the new Discovery-style dashboard.
"Sam and Sybil aren't happy though - with the instant fresh air vents now taken away, they can't stick their snouts in the dash to get a scent of what's to come!"
And the Mitsubishi? With so many eyes (most of them human), on the Mitsubishi, two days later Len has finally had a decent stint behind the wheel. "I thought I wouldn't like the driving position at first - it's so much lower than the Defender's and feels laid back, so it's harder to see over the hedgerows, which is vital when we're checking stock."
The L200, he says, is a "radically different animal" to the British contender. "The Defender is an honest farm tool, whereas this is a car with a country attitude." Given the beefy 2.5-litre engine, he certainly feels it's the boy-racer option: "With the auto 'box you just sit back and push the throttle and it flies." All of which augurs badly for work offroad?
"I was surprised. It has an excellent turning circle. We have some tricky slopes where you'd not want to take a tractor, but it felt very stable on any sideways inclines. It's not frightened of mucking in."
Len's experiences with the new Land Rover suggest he simply replace his ageing model with a more manoeuvrable new 90 Pick Up... except that the latter now sports only two front seats, so when - as so often is the case - a team of three are heading off to herd sheep, one ends up walking. Does that conundrum sell him the L200? "I rate it, but I just don't feel it's cut out for hard labour. It feels too fashionable and fancy for a life as a shepherd's car."
So ultimately, a Land Rover it will be, though you get the feeling they're going to be burning much midnight oil reading spec sheets. "I'm told they have more than 100 configurations, so hopefully we'll find the best for sheep farming."
And for his six dogs, too.
Picture by Adrian Sherratt
