Leading by example, Purbeck home owners who have invested in energy efficient measures to save money on their bills and reduce their carbon footprint, are welcoming others to come and look around their properties.
As part of Dorset Greener Homes, seven homes in Purbeck will be open for people to pop round at various times and dates over two weekends in September 2025 – Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st, and Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th.
Farndreg in Southcliffe Road, Swanage has solar panels, a water butt and a wildlife friendly garden
Low cost solutions
Of the seven houses taking part, there are three in or near Swanage, one in Langton Matravers, and three in Wareham.
The focus is on low cost solutions to cut energy use, reduce waste and save money, as well as looking after nature in the garden.
Alongside that, are opportunities to view low carbon technologies like solar panels, heat pumps and electric cars.
One home in Northmoor Way, Wareham is opening for the very first time. It is a 1970s house bought 18 months ago by Matt Southam.
As a heating engineer, he’s installed a heat pump and solar panels, as well as improving his home’s insulation with foam filled cavity walls and 300 mm of loft insulation. He says that by doing all of this, his house retains its warmth over winter.
California Meadows campsite in Swanage, with its solar panels
Swanage
- Farndreg, Southcliffe Road, BH19 2JE: This 1970s bungalow has had extensive insulation, solar panels and an air source heat pump, plus a wildlife friendly garden. Saturday 20th September 2025, 10.30 am, 12.30 pm, and 3.30 pm slots – Turn up 5 minutes before tour time. See website details
- Knap, Southcliffe Road BH19 2JE: Bee friendly garden, living roofs, Solar PV with battery, tea and honey cake. Saturday 20th September 2025, 10 am to 4 pm – Just turn up. See website details
- California Meadows, Priests Way, BH19 2RS: Campsite with two large solar arrays, and a guided wildlife walk. Sunday 28th September 2025, tours 11 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 3.30 pm – Just turn up. See website details
Air to air heat pumps at South View in Langton Matravers
Langton Matravers
- South View, The Hyde BH19 3HE: Solar PV with a diverter to heat water and charge the EV, solar thermal tubes, air-air-heat pumps; wildlife friendly and organic garden. Saturday 27th September 2025, 10 am to 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm – Just turn up. See website details
This Hanse Haus replaced an old bungalow in Bestwall Road, Wareham
Wareham
- 33 Bestwall Road, BH20 4HY: Hanse Haus SIP-built near passive house. MVHR, 25 in-roof PV panels, Tesla Powerwall battery. Bi-directional car charger to use EV car battery to run the house. Sunday 21st and Sunday 28th September 2025, with tours at 10 am, 11 am and 1.30 pm – Booking required via website. See website details
- 14 West Walls, BH20 4QH: Early 1900s mid terrace. Cavity wall insulation, high spec loft insulation. 7.1kW solar PV with iboost and 10kWh battery. Heat pump. Permaculture productive garden. Not open September 2025 but open outside of that time year round – Booking required via website. See website details
- 108 Northmoor Way: This is a 1970s house with upgraded loft and wall insulation, Tesla Powerwall 3 Battery, solar panels and heat pump. Open Saturday 20th and Saturday 27th September 2025 from 2 pm to 5 pm – Just turn up. See website details
Lucinda Neall has installed solar panels and a battery at her Swanage home
“Look at what other people have actually done”
Lucinda Neall from Purbeck Greener Homes said:
“People often wonder how they can make their homes more energy efficient or gardens more eco-friendly but one of the best ways to find out is to look at what other people have actually done.
“They can tell you what is involved and how much it really costs. They can also alert you to any problems you should know about.
“Across the open homes in Purbeck, there are a range of things to see from ‘no mow’ areas, water butts and ponds, through solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, to a new-build of almost ‘passiv-haus’ standard.
“If you’ve wondered whether a heat pump is a good investment, you can come and see what it looks like, listen to how much noise it makes, and find out how much it costs to install and to run.
“I’d really urge anyone interested to come and visit the open homes and if they can’t make the Dorset Greener Homes open times, do look on the website as it may be possible to arrange a visit for another time.”
As well as the homes open in Purbeck, there are many more open to look around in Dorset, from the traditional to the modern.
Further information
- More details, bookings and directions for all the homes across Dorset are on the Dorset Greener Homes website
