13-02-2026 - Sunderland - Hylton Grange
54.910977, -1.457488
Our drive back to the Northlands, beyond the wall necessitated a couple of charging stops. The weather had really come in around early January 2026. There was quite the cold snap for a few days there. We were travelling on a day with weather warnings. Snow and ice all along the coast, so we decided to tuck in a bit, staying inland. Or at least we tried to. We found ourselves in a placed called Hylton, outside Sunderland.
The charging stop is a reasonable affair. Hylton Grange is a set of 4 chargers, each with CHAdeMO and CCS up to 160kW. They are managed by Instavolt and they take Octopus Electroverse and Contactless payments. No type 2 according to ZapMap apparently? Looking back at the photos, I can't see one either. It's in a small retail park, very close to the A19. It's all enterprise parks, car dealerships and light manufacturing. There appears to be a Starbucks and a Brewers Fayre nearby but nothing else to really recommend it.
It's a brisk morning, with snow on the ground and a clear blue sky. It's good to be out but there's little to do here. This is one of these stops where you have to make your own entertainment! I suppose many folks watch Netflix on their car screens, or perhaps read their phones. I tend to read - I'll usually have a book on my tablet or kindle. There was a time when charging took quite a long while. Now it seems, most modern EVs can charge at much higher rates. The car we have hired charges at 150kW at peak I believe? It certainly helps when there's not a lot around to do.
We have our dog with us, so I suppose he won't be going out for a walk just yet. I take a little wander so I can get some snaps. It's somewhat funny to see a tanning salon next door to the Starbucks, on a day like this.
Sunderland, and indeed the North East isn't a part of the world I know too well. I've visited Gateshead and Newcastle a number of times. Sunderland remains a mystery to me. Perhaps next time, we'll take a closer look. On this particular trip however, we continue northwards.