Day Out with INEOS Exploring Yorkshire's Green Lanes
When Matt from PFPR emailed about organising a green-laning day with INEOS, I wasted no time diving into my maps and plotting a few lanes across Yorkshire. Granted, the area he had in mind isn’t exactly known for its gnarly, vehicle-testing lanes, but the weather looked decent and the scenery promised to make up for it.
When the day arrived I left Muddy Towers brimmed with caffeine and excitement. It would take an hour to get to Andy’s house, who was already in possession of the Magic Mushroom-coloured Quartermaster, and a further a further 90-minutes to reach our rendezvous point with the INEOS team, plus a few fellow NGMW (Northern Group of Motoring Writers), members.
After demolishing breakfast, having a good natter, and sitting through the obligatory (but important) safety briefing, our little convoy took shape. Andy and I were in the Quartermaster, Fred was in another identically ‘shroom-hued Quartermaster with a lovely gent named Sam who works in INEOS’ product development dept. Then Julie and the John Carroll were flying the flag for the Grenadier in Devil’s Red - my favourite.
With Matt leading the way, we set course for our first lane of the day - Wreaks Lane, just outside the village of Grewelthorpe, south of Masham. (Trailwise refs: SE1975-04, SE1776-05, SE1474-02, SE1274-03, and SE1175-02).
Wreaks Lane is more scenic than severe, and eased us into the day gently. The views were absolutely spectacular and, more importantly, it gave everyone time to get acquainted with how each vehicle handled in low-range. You could practically hear the vehicles whispering, “Is that all you’ve got?” In fact, the first time I ever drove Wreaks Lane was in a BMW X6, and the only thing that caused an issue was severe speed bumps and the western end.
Next, we wound our way onto Moor Lane (SE0676-04), which upped the ante slightly. A handful of tight, uneven switchbacks made sure you stayed alert, and before long, we found ourselves descending towards Scarehouse Reservoir. Apart from the tight-ish corners, this lane has seen some grading of late - or dumbing down as some might say. Still, it’s a great lane and the vehicles handled it like an ASDA carpark.
A quick hop across the dam, which is always fun in a convoy, and we began the steady climb up towards Deadman’s Hill (SE0677-02).
As you begin to head away from Scarehouse there are a few interesting sections that test both the suspension and 4WD system - but again, all vehicles took it their stride, even when one driver lost his concentration slightly and nearly ended up in a ditch. Not me in case you’re wondering!
As we reached the top it was decided that this is where we would break for dinner and a natter (not lunch – we’re northern, remember: breakfast, dinner, tea, then supper, if you’re lucky).
Suitably refuelled, we carried onto lane number four: Gilbert Lane (SD9480-01), that merges onto High Lane (SD9480-01). Again, these lanes are more scenic than challenging, I last drove them in a Skoda Karoq: here so the INEOS fleet wasn’t exactly breaking a sweat. Still, the surroundings were as stunning as ever, and the vehicles’ surefootedness on the undulating track meant the drivers could relax and soak it all in.
Somewhere along the way, the photographer piped up wanting shots of the vehicles tackling puddles. We obliged, obviously, although perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, the splash radius prompted a few colourful words over the radios. All in the name of art, eh?
Our next lane was the brook at Starling Busk, so we took a shortcut along Bob Lane (SD9480-01). This short, and in some places tight, used to be quite fun with a large drop in the middle, but it’s been graded, so now not so much.
Anyhow, Busk Lane (SD9086-02), is usually a highlight with bonnet-deep water to negotiate, but not today as a spell of dry weather meant the stream barely skimmed the tyres. Still, it made for a pleasant, meandering drive, even if the drama was lacking.
After a short road stint, we rolled up to the shores of Semerwater, the second-largest natural lake in North Yorkshire. As is customary when in the area, we stopped for a few photos. It’s basically the law. If you're near Semerwater and don’t post a photo, did you even go?
With the afternoon ticking on, our route steered us to the most technical section of the day — Fremington Edge (NZ0400-02). But first, how would the INEOS fleet cope with the winding A684? As I wrote in the Quartermaster review, here - yes they have heavy steering, but they’re predictable and after a while, quite fun to throw around corners. Well, for me at least.
Clinging to the side of a steep hillside, Fremington Edge, as the name suggests, climbs steadily over loose stone, with the kind of drop-offs that make your stomach tighten ever so slightly. This was the moment the vehicles properly earned their keep. The Grenadier and Quartermasters didn’t put a wheel wrong - their locking diffs (front, centre, and rear) working seamlessly to keep everything composed. The occupants? Did I spot a few white knuckles gripping steering wheels a touch too tightly? Maybe, but despite the ruts, rocks, and articulation-testing holes near the top, each 4x4 climbed with confidence. No dramas. No fuss. Just proper engineering doing its job.
Rounding off the day were two final lanes: NZ0603-02 and NZ0702-02. These were once known for being a bit of a challenge, but much to my disappointment, they’d recently been graded. You could probably navigate them in your gran’s Micra, if she was feeling brave. That said, the two river crossings provided a little bit of excitement, although the low water levels meant even those felt tamer than usual.
And that was that, we parked up just outside Marske, said our goodbyes and headed off. Andy and I made our way back to his via Richmond, where we celebrated the day’s adventures with a proper chippy tea, as is tradition.
All in all, a grand day out. No breakdowns, no recoveries, and not a single panel scratched. The vehicles performed faultlessly, poised, capable, and never once flustered, no matter what we threw at them. Which, admittedly, wasn’t much. But still, it’s nice to know they’re more than ready for when things do get hairy.
There’ll be more Grenadier adventures coming soon as at the end of October ‘25 I’ve got the Devil’s Red Grenadier booked for a week - I’ve already got a large list of adventures planned!
