The Rough End of the Scenic Lake District

The touristy east has souvenirs, sonnets and sugary treats, but the untamed west of UK's Lake District is where memories are made

- Rishad Saam Mehta

England's most outstanding area of natural beauty, the Lake District, is always associated with William Wordsworth, the poet who made the English countryside immortal with verses rooted in its flora and fauna. And Land Rover—Indian-owned now—was forged in the mud and mettle of postwar Britain: an all-terrain embodiment of English grit, eccentricity and the unshakable belief that no hill is too steep.

My recent road trip made me wonder: if Wordsworth had a Land Rover, would he have wandered lonely as a cloud? Or would he have chased clouds over the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes, where the road ribbons into a wild and feral landscape, a far cry from the gentle countryside of Grasmere and Windermere. If so, what about his poetry? Would it still serenade a lonesome reaper or would it brood with cloud-brushed crags, wild waterfalls? Romanticism replaced by tempestuousness—in short, the difference between the east and the west of this popular vacation spot.

For our road trip from London to the western Lake District, we pack tent, sleeping bags, picnic rug and a slightly scorched camping stove. There are no spa days planned, no linen trousers packed. We're chasing wild swims, long walks, and the joy of getting lost. We veer west, away from Beatrix Potter, gingerbread, and neatly labelled viewpoints.

The new Defender Octa eats up the 320 miles (514km) from London to Loweswater in six hours. Loweswater is still, cold and calm. We stake out a clump of land jutting into the Loweswater lake to park.

Dinner at the nearby Kirkstile Inn and microbrewery comprises slow-cooked Cumbrian lamb that falls off the bone, and pints of Loweswater Gold pulled fresh from the source. By the time we settle into the car to sleep, we are radiating both hops and happiness. The gloomy morning hints at a rainy day as we brew coffee in an electric moka pot plugged into the car and toast ham and cheese sandwiches on a skillet over the stove.