The Shortest Day In Britain’s Longest-Range Electric Limo

By Jeremy Taylor & Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby

24 seconds ago

302 miles from Country & Town House’s London HQ to a historic hotel in Cumbria? No problem

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The Shortest Day In Britain’s Longest-Range Electric Limo

Motoring editor Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Saloon non-stop to Askham Hall.

Review: Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Saloon

JT – What do I have in common with the late Queen Elizabeth II?

J-TP – You have both stayed at Askham Hall in the Lake District?

True, but we have also been locked in a loo too! While this reportedly happened to HRH at Askham Hall, I was a six-year-old when the bathroom door handle broke off. Dad had to cut a hole in the wood to release me.

I believe we stayed in her old dressing room at Askham – why was she staying there?

Well, Prince Philip was great friends with the 7th Earl of Lonsdale, who once lived at Askham Hall. The Duke of Edinburgh helped the Earl establish a famous carriage driving event in the grounds of nearby Lowther Castle. The Lowther Show was quite an event back in the day.

And now Askham Hall is a rather wonderful, Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms. If you want authentic country house, few places can match the eclectic nature of this medieval mansion.

It’s like arriving at Wolf Hall. The former family home of the Lowthers is a riot of stone floors, wood panelling and random antiques. Expect log fires, sensational food from Richard Swale and the odd damp Labrador. Swale once worked at world-famous NOMA in Copenhagen and now makes best use of Askham’s produce-packed kitchen garden.

If you still have space after his seven-course tasting menu – the wine list reads like War & Peace – breakfast offers home-baked pastries, kippers and local fare. Walk it off afterwards along the banks of the River Lowther, or around the grounds of ruined Lowther Castle.

This is one of the lesser-visited corners of the Lake District, yet Askham village is postcard perfect and surrounded by great walks and cycle rides. In fact, the only thing missing was an electric car charger!

Apparently, Askham Hall is working on that, but the nearest fast charger is otherwise five miles away, at Penrith. Fortunately, our all-electric Mercedes EQS is currently the car with the longest range. The 450+ model has a real-world range of 370 miles – which is exceptional.

That’s largely thanks to a bigger, 118kWh battery pack for the 2025 model. The slippery styling helps aerodynamics too. Costing around £130,000, it’s a luxury limo with all the trimmings.

I think the styling won’t be to everybody’s taste but there’s no doubt that for a long-haul trip, the EQS is the ultimate EV. Expect massaging, air-cooled and heated seats, rear entertainment, plush cushions and the option of the MBUX Hyperscreen, stretching door-to-door across the dashboard. Fun, if you are happy to blow £8,000 on such things.

And we shouldn’t forget to mention the rear-wheel steering, which makes the EQS a thrilling car to driving on a twisty A-road, as well as much easier to manoeuvre around a hotel car park. You can also raise the suspension to cope with a Cumbrian pothole.

Technophobes might find the EQS a little intimidating to drive but only the equally capable BMW i7 comes close for pure luxury – and we’ll be driving that car soon.

So, with no charging stops en route from London to the Lake District, the Mercedes EQS will also get you there in daylight hours on the Winter Solstice.

Let there be light – and Happy Christmas.