Wolsey Lodges with EV chargers

Many Wolsey Lodges have off-road private parking as well as an outdoor socket, which means it’s easy to trickle-charge your EV while you enjoy a good nights’ sleep. But a number of our B&Bs have already installed dedicated EV chargers, allowing Electric Vehicle owners to charge up quickly and easily. Here is a roundup of those lodges where you can charge your car fast.

To start in the North. Kingsway House in Edinburgh city centre already has private off-street parking, itself a major asset for such a central B&B, and it recently became the first guest house in the city to install an EV charger. This means you can top up your charge while you stroll the short distance to the Royal Mile to enjoy a meal and perhaps browse a few shops.

Electric vehicles are set to slash the cost of driving between England and Scotland, but few have the range to complete the trip on one charge. And there are a number of lodges in Northern England that are ideal stopover points for travellers heading north or south with dedicated chargers for EV drivers.

Warwick Hall is two miles from Exit 43 on the M6 motorway ten minutes from Carlisle, and an EV charger nestles elegantly in an ivy-clad wall. Add in top-quality accommodation and restaurant-standard cuisine – the best gastro-restaurant in Carlisle relocated to take over the catering  here – and it’s easy to see how this has become a popular stop for those who regularly have to travel between north and south.

Nine miles out of Durham and close to the A68, Dowfold House is another property mid-way between London and Inverness. Accommodation is in a Victorian mansion once owned by a mine manager, now beautifully furnished with antiques and art. A newly-fitted EV charger makes this super-convenient for drivers of electric cars, whether en route north or south or staying a while to explore Durham and all the area has to offer.

South to the Midlands and two more Wolsey Lodges have installed EV chargers. Glendon House is in the former spa town of Matlock, perfect for exploring the Peak District and more. Add an EV charger and it’s easy for Electric Vehicle drivers to make the most of the Derbyshire countryside with its stately homes, cycle trails and more.

Horseshoe Cottage Farm is next to Bradgate Deer Park: at ten minutes from the M1 it’s another handy stopover for drivers heading north or south. An EV charger opens up the many attractions within an hour’s drive, including Leicester with its Richard III exhibition and National Space Centre, the castles of Warwick and Belvoir.

West to the North Cotswolds and Lowerfield Farm is quietly set right by Broadway, just south of Stratford-on-Avon: several of the eight guest bedrooms here have views of the iconic Broadway Tower. This Cotswold stone farmhouse dates back to the 17th century but has been thoroughly updated, and an EV charger opens up Shakespeare Country, Hidcote Gardens and more.

Travel south to the Meon Valley and Langrish House near Petersfield is in the South Downs. It’s a historic building – it is mentioned in the Domesday Book and its vaults are said to have been dug by Royalist prisoners captured at the Battle of Cheriton in 1644 – but its EV charger gives a useful touch of modernity.

To Wales and Elm Grove Country House is beautifully set in on the Pembroke Peninsula just outside Tenby. It’s been a busy year here, but once a car has got this far west it’s unlikely to have enough juice to make it back. Their EV charger opens up this magnificent area to electric vehicles: explore award-winning beaches, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, Pembroke Castle, the Preseli Hills and St Davids. Evening meals are a highlight here: call ahead and find out what’s on the menu.

To the Southwest and Bossington Hall is a stunning mansion in Exmoor near the coast and the village of Porlock. An EV puts this in easy range of electric car drivers from London or Birmingham, but there’s too much going on here to let it just be a stopover on the way to Cornwall. Bossington Hall has its own leather-armchair cinema and eight acres of grounds including squash and tennis courts. It’s prime walking country, with the South West Coast Path passing by and Exmoor National Park on every side.

Pendragon Country House, just outside Camelford, is another far-western lodge, but this time in Cornwall. Once again you’ll want to plug in before starting your return journey. Pendragon has a gold award for its Green Tourism so it’s appropriate that it has an EV charger to power up your vehicle while you recharge your own batteries on coastal walks: Pendragon offer pickup and dropoff services for guest wishing to walk parts of the South West Coast Path.

Electric Vehicles don’t always need dedicated chargers, and most Wolsey Lodges can rustle up an extension lead to reach an outside socket. Just be sure to fully uncoil any extension while charging to avoid burning your host’s house down. And if a fast EV charger is important for you, these are the Wolsey Lodges that offer this facility. More are sure to follow.