Karen Evennett meets the riverine residents of Surrey for whom the Thames is home...
If you ever find yourself dreaming of life on a river island, beware.
When Linda Laubscher first went for a viewing, she was warned that if she viewed with her head, she’d never make the move – but if she viewed with her heart, she’d be hooked.
Linda Laubscher
She chose the latter course. Now, sure enough, she could never imagine leaving her waterside home.
It’s human nature to desire proximity to water – it reduces stress and boosts our mood. Those, like Linda, who succumb to the magic of island life are rarely willing to give it up.
Fortunately, the Thames has a wealth of residential islands, or eyots, offering a range of properties – from floating homes to houses perched high up on stilts to protect them from the vagaries of fluctuating river levels.
Some, like Garrick’s Ait, above Molesey Lock, can only be reached by boat.
Others – such as Sunbury Court Island and D’Oyly Carte Island, near Weybridge – have pedestrian access via a footbridge.
At Hampton, Platt’s Eyot’s pedestrian bridge is just wide enough for the island’s residents to cross in dinky little vehicles.
Only Tagg’s Island, upstream from Hampton Court, has a fully fledged vehicular bridge. For Linda, who moved there with her husband Mark in 2019, the bridge was a “dealbreaker”.
“It means we have the best of both worlds,” she reflects. “The tranquillity of living on an island without the feeling of being cut off.”
The couple live in a floating home on the island’s man-made lagoon – a cocoon-like location where they are regularly visited by ducks and even the occasional seal.
But the dream comes at a price.
“Living on an island is a lifestyle choice – especially if your home is a houseboat or, like ours, a floating home [which, unlike houseboats, can’t be driven away].
Our home needs far more maintenance than a bricks and mortar house. Having experienced a leaky hull within two weeks of moving in, we keep essential supplies like loo paper and washing powder down there. That forces us to go down and inspect for potential weak spots.”
A replacement hull, if required, could cost up to £80,000, while a complete rebuild would run to £150,000.
“Only a few companies offer the necessary marine insurance, so the lack of competition makes it expensive.”
Nor will you get a mortgage for a floating home – not least because banks worry that the property won’t stay in one place. So you have to be prepared to think long term.
“You are buying a way of life, not just a place to live,” says Linda.
Jonty
Boat or bridge?
Jonty Steel first dreamed of living on an island over 20 years ago, after rowing past Garrick’s Ait.
That dream crystallised in 2005 with a custom-built, timber-framed house that arrived in numbered pieces, like a Meccano kit, from Finland.
Jonty quickly adapted to a life ruled by the river.
“I learned to stock up on food, drink and everyday essentials,” he says. “Garrick’s Ait is only accessible by boat and, especially in winter, there’s a risk of becoming marooned. I was once stranded for five days.
“When the red boards are up – warning of a strong stream – it’s not just unwise, but actually unsafe to venture out in a boat. The current can carry you off course, and it’s not unusual to encounter hazardous objects like garden benches that have been swept into the river. My boat’s engine once stalled because a bag of builder’s rubble had wrapped itself around the prop.”
Jonty
Five years ago, after twice falling into the river, Jonty moved to the relative safety of Sunbury Court Island with its pedestrian bridge.
“It was like going from economy to club class,” he says. “It’s very tranquil, and there’s much more space. The bin men even cross the bridge to collect our rubbish. It’s a lovely place to live.”
Even so, Jonty is now putting his house on the market.
“I want to be within walking distance of my girlfriend in Claygate,” he explains.
Susie Simons
Room with a view
From her cottage on Thames Ditton Island, Susie Simons – owner of 30 Antiques in the village – has a panoramic view downstream towards Kingston and across to Home Park.
She’s surrounded by wildlife, visited by owls at night and kingfishers by day, and is especially fond of spotting tiny whizzing dabchicks.
“The second I step onto the footbridge next to Ye Olde Swan pub, I feel a sense of calm wash over me: I’m stepping away from urban life. When the leaves are off the trees in Home Park, I can look across and see rabbits and deer,” she says.
“My house, built around 1900, was a shed with no insulation when I moved in. It is one of the original island houses and has never been flooded, although the river sometimes inundates the garden and the water can be waist deep. We have an island WhatsApp group to alert each other when we need to wear waders instead of wellies. But it’s a small price to pay for our lovely lifestyle.
“I’ve lived here for 30 years, and I really think that it’s carrying heavy stuff over the bridge that keeps me fit. We tend to age well on the island. One of my friends moved here in the 1950s and stayed until she died, in her 90s, last year.”
SG
Pied à Thames
A houseboat is often perceived as a budget housing option, but for many, it is a luxury lifestyle choice, says Chris Hill, owner of luxury boat designer Waterspace Living.
“Our ‘floating apartments’ are beautifully appointed and often used as an alternative type of pied-à-terre by owners with properties around the world.”
Moorings can be hard to find, but Waterspace houseboats have their own fixed mooring. The company has berths on iconic D’Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge. Prices from £265,000.
Documentary photographer Simon Street is a member of Kingston Camera Club and the Richmond and Twickenham Photography Society. View Simon’s work at simon-street-photos.com.
