A riverside home on a private island once gifted to Admiral Lord Nelson for his victory in battle has gone on the market for £1.125m.
Pharoah’s Island, which sits in the River Thames at Shepperton, Surrey, was purchased by the Treasury and given to Britain’s greatest sailor after the Battle of the Nile in 1798.
Most of the island’s 24 homes have Egyptian names and the four-bedroom Osiris, named after the Egyptian god of the dead, is now up for sale with estate agents Dexters and Waterview.
Pictured: The country-style kitchen of four-bedroom home Osiris on Pharoah’s Island, a unique location in the middle of the River Thames
Pharoah’s Island, which sits in the River Thames at Shepperton, Surrey, was purchased by the Treasury and given to Britain’s greatest sailor after the Battle of the Nile in 1798
The property has its own private mooring and the new owners will have to park their car by the towpath and take a rowing boat ride of less than a minute to get to their home.
The island was one of many gifts given to honour Nelson and he used it as a fishing retreat, but it was later passed to another admiral who sold off plots of land
There are also communal rowing boats available to visitors.
The house has stunning waterside views from the living room and master bedroom, as well as a balcony.
The island, which is 306 yards long and about 65 yards wide, was gifted to Nelson after he foiled French general Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in order to block British trade routes to India.
It was one of many gifts given to honour Nelson and he used it as a fishing retreat, but it was later passed to another admiral who sold off plots of land.
Osiris has 2,166 sq ft of accommodation with a large kitchen, conservatory, dining room, living room and a bedroom with an en suite on the ground floor and three bedrooms and a family bathroom upstairs.
Homebuyers would need to hire a flat-bottom boat or barge to move in any heavy furniture.
Soren Ravaux, of Waterview, said: ‘It is a charming island set right in the middle of the Thames.
‘Homes on this island are popular as there are only so many islands and this is one of just a few that can only be reached by boat.’
The property has its own private mooring and the new owners will have to park their car by the towpath and take a rowing boat ride of less than a minute to get to their home
The house has stunning waterside views from the living room and master bedroom, as well as a balcony
He said: ‘It’s the extreme version of river living and you either love it or hate it.
‘Everyone accesses it from the towpath at Shepperton as on the other side of the river there’s the private gardens of the properties at Hamm Court.
‘You just jump in your boat and go across to the other side, it takes less than a minute.
‘There’s a couple of communal boats which the islanders all hold keys to and people are very friendly so if you’re visiting someone other islanders will usually give you a lift.
‘The island has a lovely community spirit. There’s an open green area in the middle of the island about the size of a football pitch where they have bonfires and summer parties.
The island, which is 306 yards long and about 65 yards wide, was gifted to Nelson after he foiled French general Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in order to block British trade routes to India
Most of the island’s homes have Egyptian names and the four-bedroom Osiris (conservatory above), is named after the Egyptian god of the dead
The estate agent said: ‘The property has great views, it’s at a nice wide part of the river with lots of willows. In summer it’s breathtakingly beautiful’
He said: ‘It attracts a lot of people who used to be in the TV business, as well as art and music.
‘It’s a slightly eccentric way of life, you’d struggle to do the daily commute.
‘The property has great views, it’s at a nice wide part of the river with lots of willows. In summer it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
‘It’s a main thoroughfare so it’s a great place to watch all different types of boats, there’s always something going on.
‘And if there’s no human activity there’s always plenty of wildlife to watch. It’s forever changing scenery.’