According to reports, Donald Trump is about to choose the winning design for his great wall on the border between the US and Mexico.
Many people will think the notion of building a wall these days is ludicrous, especially when such a structure can be breached by a decent pole vaulter, tunneler or hang glider pilot.
But there is nothing new about walls: they have played a fairly significant role in history.
The Great Wall of China is the most famous and at more than 13,000 miles long its purpose was to stop the Manchus from invading – they eventually did and established the Qing dynasty.
In Europe, Baby Boomers will have been brought up with the regular attempts to breach the Berlin Wall that split Germany into East and West.
However, much nearer home, I’m driving past the remains of Hadrian’s Wall. It was built here in the north of England around nineteen hundred years ago to protect the Roman province of Britannia from the likes of us farther north.
Today, of course, there is no need for any such barricade or crossing patrol between England and Scotland as we are all best pals.
For this journey back in time, I’m in the company of the new Volvo XC60, a top-quality SUV that has four-wheel drive, an elevated driving position and an automatic transmission.
On the roads leading to and from Brampton that are narrow and twist,y the pleasure of not having to guddle about with a gearstick and clutch pedal is joyous.
Owners will not be displeased with the passenger cabin as some clear investment has been made in quality of materials and comfort features. The revision here follows a similar exercise some time ago with its big brother, the XC90. Now, with a flair that will equal any premium model it may well be arguably the best in its segment.
Volvo has always been and always will be the major force in safety concepts but, before I travel one more mile, I must disengage two features that will spoil my journey as I travel past the remains of this ancient crumbling wall.
The first, automatic start/stop, I detest as it causes a hiatus when I’m moving away from a junction. The second, lane departure warning, I find menacingly intrusive in this car – so with the little swipe of the finger on its touchscreen, I have effected a happier situation.
This model is in D4 specification and as such has the smaller 190ps two-litre diesel engine. Only one other engine is available with 235ps output, fitted to the D5 model. But as I drive through this most pleasant if somewhat isolated part of the north of England, I cannot complain about the engine’s pulling power or ride comfort.
The car behaves satisfyingly well and is a truly great companion. Yes, I had moments of grumpiness with the voice from the satellite navigation and sometimes I couldn’t get her to shut up – but then this is normal for a novice set loose in a new car.
One thing I was quite aware of was how quietly the XC60 went about its job. The engine may for all of that have been electric and wind and road wheel noise were negligible. And unlike a quality electric car I drove recently, when I activated the windscreen wipers in the Volvo they were totally silent.
Build quality is evident. Brampton was my first port of call on this circuit that was to go along part of the 73-mile chain of walls and fortresses built by the Roman legions.
I would then pass through the valley of the South Tyne rising to half the height of Ben Nevis at Gamblesby Fell before plummeting into pastureland by way of Glassonby and Armathwaite.
My first place of interest is Brampton, which has some intrigue with its distinctive octagonal moot (meeting) hall just across the road from the Nag’s Head. I like this little place although parking is not so easy. Parking meter discs are required as is so often the case and it’s not a bad idea to keep one in the car. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed here when he received the surrender of Carlisle.
It is important at this point to make for the nearby Lanercost Priory, which attracted great interest from Scottish raiders but more importantly on this route is a way point for Banks East Turret. From here and in the direction of Birdoswald are the remains of Roman turrets, signal towers and evidence of the wall itself by the side of the road that stretches in an almost straight line for three miles.
I know I am lucky on this day and on this trip to be in the XC60. Although lower than some SUVs, its seating position still offers me great views out to the magnificent wide valleys and spectacular views where the road rises to around 2000ft.
All XC60s have electrically adjustable height and lumbar alteration and this coupled with an exceptionally comfortable and supportive driver’s seat, I feel that I am in Parnassus.
Thankfully, I did have a companion on this journey and much of the prodding and poking of the touchscreen was done by her. With most features being controlled through this device it does free up space on the dashboard where buttons and twirly bits would be. The result is a minimalist dash whose elegant simplicity is strikingly eminent.
My journey continued through Knarsdale, picking up the A686 where the road rises to Gamblesby Fell. It is one of the highest roads in Britain and on a clear day the views are spectacular over the broad valley of the Eden and westwards towards the peaks of the Lake District. I allowed myself to pause in some wonderment at the magnitude of my panorama and considered the number of acres of land in this snapshot.
It is hard for me to find any fault with the XC60. For those keen on more power, the D5 model is the one to go for but in either case the XC60 only comes as a five-seater. Best of all with this model is its passenger cabin quality and what I see, feel and touch is pleasing.
Its size, too, will content many motorists as it falls into the category that is easy to get on with and not in the league of large, clumsy vehicles where bigger is presumed to be better.
DRIVE FACTS
Make: Volvo
Model: XC60 D4 AWD R-Design Lux Nav
How much: £38,140
How fast: 127mph
0-62mph: 9.6 seconds
Economy: 54.3mpg, combined
Emissions: 137g/km
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