Historic hall drives sustainability with roll out of EV charging facilities

Qwello UK is working with the team at the Doddington Hall estate in Lincolnshire to develop, build and install five EV charging stations for drivers to use when visiting the historic site.

Ground works for the new charging stations which are located in a new car park near the Grain Store Café, Restaurant & Bar have been completed on-site and the new stations are now open to the public.

Built between 1595 and 1600, Doddington Hall was designed by Robert Smythson – one of England’s foremost Elizabethan architects.

Since 2006, Doddington has been the family home of Claire and James Birch. Following on from Claire’s parents, the Birch family have devoted themselves to the upkeep, repair and progression of the estate. Over the last 18 years, a range of shops, cafés, a restaurant, tea room, holiday cottages and events have been developed, as well as two Padel Tennis courts with the proceeds of which go towards the conservation of the hall and gardens.

More recently, the team at Doddington have also launched a range of initiatives to improve their sustainability including the Wilder Doddington initiative – a 100 year project to bring more nature back to the 1900 acre estate.

This includes ending arable farming on the estate with Doddington’s rare breed Lincoln Red cattle and existing deer population managing the landscape to allow the development of wood pasture, wetlands and species rich grassland across the previously extensively drained and conventionally farmed estate.

The new charging stations are the latest addition to the estate’s long term commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for Doddington which includes harnessing biomass and solar sources to power the hall, shops, cafés and holiday cottages, free walking routes on the estate and the creation of a traffic free cycle track connecting to Lincoln.

James Birch, partner of the Doddington Hall Estate, said: “We are pleased to work with Qwello to install five fast electric vehicle chargers at Doddington. Being an electric car owner myself, we aim to make it easier for the growing number of electric vehicle users who visit Doddington to experience the beauty and heritage of the estate without worrying about their car charge. The chargers not only provide visitors with a practical and convenient way to charge their electric vehicles while they enjoy everything that the Doddington Estate has to offer, but they are also another important step forward for our continued commitment to sustainability.”

Qwello UK’s managing director Martin Hale said: “Qwello already has a proven track record of delivering charging solutions across both urban and commercial locations in many European cities and towns including London, Berlin and Stockholm. We are delighted to now be working alongside Doddington Hall to bring this project to fruition.”