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Renewable Energy at Athelhampton House & Gardens: EV Charging in Dorset

Updated: 17 hours ago

Athelhampton House & Gardens is proud to offer one of the largest visitor EV charging facilities at a historic house in Dorset, with 10 electric vehicle charging points available in the visitor car park.


Located near Dorchester in the heart of the South West, Athelhampton House & Gardens combines sustainable tourism with one of England’s finest Tudor houses and award-winning gardens. Whether you are exploring Dorset, travelling across the South West, or simply looking for reliable EV charging near Dorchester, Athelhampton provides an easy and welcoming stop.


A fairly newly planted hedge at Athelhampton with the black plastic spiral tree guards still being used. On the right hand side, half hidden in the hedge, is one of the 10 E.V. chargers that are available for public use at Athelhampton. It's a tall black box with grey trim on each of the corners, with a light taking up the whole of the top of the box. The light isn't turned on. There's a small white sign at the top of the charger, just below the light, but it's too far away to read.
An E.V. Charger at Athelhampton

Our owner, Giles Keating, has long believed that EV charging should be straightforward and accessible for visitors. Too often, drivers arrive at busy locations to find just one or two chargers already occupied. With 10 charging bays available at Athelhampton House & Gardens, visitors are far more likely to find an available charger when they arrive.


The chargers are AC Type 2 units offering up to 22kW charging, and we are currently able to offer charging at just £0.39 per kWh. We also accept major national charging cards for convenience.


Part of what makes charging at Athelhampton special is our wider commitment to renewable energy. Athelhampton House & Gardens is recognised as the first carbon neutral Tudor house in England, powered through a combination of solar energy, battery storage, and heat pump technology. Much of the electricity used on site is generated from our own solar arrays, helping to keep charging costs affordable while supporting greener travel across Dorset.


A view of the solar panels at Athelhampton that power our E.V. chargers, looking along the length of them. They slope down from the top left hand corner of the picture towards the bottom right hand corner. The right hand side of the picture shows a grassy field, trees, and in the background there's a cloudless blue sky
Our solar panels at Athelhampton

Visitors can easily find us on Zapmap, making Athelhampton House & Gardens a convenient charging stop for EV drivers travelling through Dorset and the South West. Tesla drivers may also recognise Athelhampton as a Tesla Self Drive destination, chosen for its historic setting and sustainable credentials.


A cake stand in Athelhampton's restaurant, with a variety of sandwiches, sausage rolls, and sweet cakes on the three layers of white plates. The square wooden table it stands on also contains a tea pot, tea cups on saucers, glasses, and a clear glass decanter of water with slices of lemon in it. Other wooden tables with wooden chairs at them are blurry in the background.
Afternoon tea at Athelhampton

Even if you do not have time to fully explore the Tudor house and award-winning gardens, which are open seven days a week throughout the year, visitors are welcome to relax in the Coach House Restaurant while their vehicle charges. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, or homemade cakes in one of Dorset’s most distinctive historic settings.


For visitors exploring Dorset by electric vehicle, Athelhampton House & Gardens offers a rare combination of reliable EV charging, renewable energy, historic architecture, and beautiful gardens, all just a short distance from Dorchester.


A grey car charging at Athelhampton. Only the back part of the car is visible, on the left hand side of the image, where a large black hose trails from the charging port in the car to the E.V. Charger. The E. V. charger is just on the right of the centre of the image. The E.V. charger is in line with a fairly newly planted hedge. It's a tall black rectangle, with grey trim on the corners and a light on the top that isn't turned on. There's a white sign on it, just below the light, but the text isn't legible. Just to the left of the E.V. charger is a large black swing sign that says "Test Drive Available" in white sans serif text in the centre, and then "Tesla" in small text right at the bottom. On the other side of the hedge, there are two tesla cars as well as another car.
Charging an electric vehicle at Athelhampton


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