Charge your car at Trengwainton, Glendurgan and Botallack

A weekend away from home no longer means watching the battery percentage drop while you decide whether to fit in one more garden or one more clifftop view. New electric vehicle charging points have gone in at three of the National Trust’s Cornwall properties, so the car can be topping up while you are somewhere far more interesting.

New chargers at Glendurgan, Trengwainton and Botallack

The National Trust has partnered with RAW Charging to install the new points at Glendurgan Garden near Falmouth, Trengwainton Garden near Penzance and Botallack on the Tin Coast near St Just, in time for the Bank Holiday weekend and the rest of the school summer holidays.

Jen Pina, Property Operations Manager for the National Trust at Glendurgan Garden, said the partnership was about supporting more sustainable travel to the Trust’s Cornwall sites. “These new charging points make it easier for visitors to enjoy a great day out while their vehicles recharge, helping us welcome more people to experience Cornwall’s incredible gardens, landscapes and heritage in a greener way,” she said.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Isabel Bowen

Glendurgan Garden, near Falmouth

Up to four vehicles can now be charged in the car park at Glendurgan while the rest of the family explores. The subtropical valley garden runs down to the wooded Helford River, and the car park chargers put a full day of exploring within easy reach without watching the clock on the battery.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/John Millar

The maze and a walk down to Durgan beach

Glendurgan’s cherry laurel maze, planted in 1833, is one of the garden’s best known features, and the path beyond it leads all the way down to the beach at nearby Durgan, a small hamlet on the Helford where the garden meets the water.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Hilary Daniel

Summer of Play at the Apple Shed

Families visiting this summer can also drop into the Apple Shed, where Glendurgan’s Summer of Play activities are running for children to get creative while the grown-ups charge the car and take stock.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/John Millar

Botallack and the Tin Coast

Three new chargers have gone in at Botallack, near St Just, opening up one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in the country to EV drivers without the usual range anxiety. The Crowns engine houses cling to the cliff edge here, with the South West Coast Path running along the top of the Tin Coast in both directions.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth

A coffee stop with sea views

Botallack is also a popular dog walking spot, with plenty of space to stop for a hot drink among the mine ruins before or after a stretch of the coast path.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/James Dobson

Trengwainton Garden, near Penzance

Trengwainton has gained four new chargers in its car park. The garden’s walled terraces and sub-tropical planting, sheltered from the worst of the Cornish weather, make it a favourite for a slower day out, and now the car can be charging throughout the visit.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/James Dobson

Tug-of-war, whittling and storytelling

Trengwainton’s own Summer of Play programme, run in collaboration with Imagine Outdoors, has a packed schedule of tug-of-war, whittling, flower crafts and storytelling sessions for children throughout the holidays.

Why RAW Charging is rolling this out

Jason Simpson, CEO of RAW Charging, the electric vehicle charge point operator behind the installations, said the new points were designed to remove the guesswork from a day out. “Our latest National Trust installations are set to open up yet more fantastic venues to the ever-growing EV community in the UK,” he said. “Designed to provide peace of mind, our easily accessible charge points ensure visitors can enjoy a full and busy day out at the sites before returning to their vehicle knowing they’re all set to head home without the need to factor in additional charging time. It’s just the latest stage in our ongoing rollouts across the National Trust portfolio and we’re really pleased to deliver it in time for the peak summer season.”

The three new sites are part of a wider rollout of RAW Charging points across National Trust properties in Cornwall, with Fast and Rapid charging on offer through the company’s European partnership with ChargePoint. The National Trust in Cornwall looks after gardens, coastline and heritage sites across the county as part of a charity founded in 1895, now supported by 5.3 million members and 40,000 volunteers nationally.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Isabel Bowen

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Marina Rule

📷Credit: National Trust Images/Jade Bone

Whichever of the three you choose this weekend, the car should be ready to go by the time you are.

📷Credit: National Trust Images/James Dobson