Hi,
I'm planning to use the escort loom. This seems to carry implications for where the fuse box can go, and at the same time, the wires reach everything.

My initial thought is near to the battery with all the 'gubbins' hanging down into the passenger footwell (covered) and the loom passing through the tranny tunnell. Or would it be better to make an enclosure and have it surface mounted somewhere.

What did you do?

I used the Escort loom in pretty much exactly the way you propose, with the fuse box just in front of the battery. This works out ok, as the fusebox is roughly in the same place as it was in the donor, so all the various loom branches are about the right length.

The only pic I can find in my archive is one labelled 'Rover 200 header tank', the fusebox just happened to make it in shot!

I mounted my fuse holders inside the passenger side of cockpit behind the scuttle. I mounted a smallish plastic vertical panel to the top chassis rail so it is up inside the scuttle area. Nice and neat and out of view. Plastic is insulated as well.