A refuge for artists and musicians
This island in the Thames takes its name from the fare that was served in inns in the 18th and 19th centuries, when guests came by boat for dances. Today, a narrow pedestrian bridge leads to tranquillity and seclusion in leafy surroundings rather than pies and dance music. There are no cars on the island, not even bicycles – just a path leading to Richmond Yacht Club, Twickenham Rowing Club and 50 houses, whose occupants clearly value their peace and quiet, as signs politely point out that the gardens are private property. On two weekends in summer, when 20 or more artists, including painters, sculptors, potters and glass artists, open their studios, visitors are allowed to see more. In a yard on the north bank, ship’s carpenters, welders and metalworkers repair and build boats. Sedate cabin cruisers and sleek motor yachts bob up and down by the quay and in boat houses. The two tips of the 700-metre-long island are nature reserves.
Info
Address In Twickenham, West London, TW1 3DY | Public Transport Twickenham (Overground), then 10 minutes’ walk; bus R 68 from Richmond to King Street. To see the island without setting foot on it, take a boat trip from Richmond: June–Sept daily; April, May at weekends. | Tip The White Swan on the north bank of the Thames opposite the eastern tip of Eel Pie Island is a 300-year-old pub with lots of charm and good food (daily 11am–10.30pm).
The island has not always been a mix of residential idyll and place of work. In the 1950s, the run-down Eel Pie Hotel, known in the pre-war years for its genteel tea dances, was a venue for hot new music and one of the best places for British jazz.
Rhythm ’n’ blues and rock were the thing in the early 60s. Rod Stewart, The Who, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones all played on Eel Pie Island before they became famous. The activities of the bands and their fans made the island notorious. Alerted by its aura of sex and drugs, the local authority demanded expensive improvements to the hotel. It was forced to close in 1967, a group of anarchists moved in, and soon the building was home to the largest hippie commune in England. The party was short-lived: the hotel burned to the ground in 1971, cause unknown. More than 40 years on, artists lend a little glamour to Eel Pie Island, but it no longer has a dubious reputation.
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