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It’s home to the most expensive street outside London, but leafy Weybridge has another claim to fame — it’s here that the River Wey feeds into the Thames, creating a network of pretty waterways in the Surrey commuter hotspot.
And like the Thames, the Wey is a squiggly affair, with various turns and tributaries as it makes its way towards London from its source near Alton in Hampshire.
One quirk in the river has formed Trinity Island: a three-quarter-of-an-acre plot with a single two-bedroom home, now on sale for £1.15 million.
Sole occupancy marks Trinity as a rarity even among the south east’s cluster of commutable private islands.
“We’ve never seen one like this,” says Robert King, director at Absolute Homes. “There’s a handful of [residential] islands on the Thames, but the majority of them are shared by multiple homes. A standalone, freehold island with single occupancy is rare indeed.”
“I deal with a lot of property on the rivers, and to have just one home on three quarters of an acre is fantastic.”
Hidden by a band of trees that trace the perimeter, Trinity Island is happily sequestered from well-heeled Weybridge, which has counted Elton John, Andy Murray and John Lennon as residents.
“The boundaries are all green, so once you’re on the island, it’s completely private. It’s still got the desirable KT13 postcode, but it’s incredibly peaceful”, adds King.
As the tributary curves it dwindles to little more than a stream, which separates the island from meadowland to the west and south.
Unusually, part of its freehold title is on the mainland — “for want of a better description” — with space for six or seven cars behind double gates on Wey Meadows, just before the footbridge that leads over to the island.
The title also covers the footbridge itself and both banks, meaning that 730 feet of river frontage is up for grabs in the sale.
From here, it’s a 15-minute walk to Weybridge High Street, and double that to the station, which delivers commuters into Waterloo in half an hour. The river itself is fully navigable to the Thames, which connects to the Wey at a lock around a mile downstream.
At the heart of the plot is a raised two-bedroom house, with a triple aspect kitchen and living room that connects to two terraces overlooking the gardens.
Planning consent was previously granted to replace the relatively modest 700-square-foot home, though this has now lapsed. Still, it’s established a precedent, says King, who expects a new owner could win approval for an extension or rebuild.
Any new construction would be required to match the elevation of the existing house, “to comply with the flood risk assessment reports,” he adds.
The plot also features a separate summer house with a WC, which could come in handy as a home office or studio while works were underway.
The owners, who have lived on the island for 24 years, have reluctantly decided to move on for their retirement.
“They’ve particularly loved the wildlife, which includes all manner of bird species,” says King. “Each year deer jump the stream to have their young on the island, because it feels so safe. As far as they’re concerned it’s an absolute haven for wildlife.”
A handful of commutable private islands have appeared on the market over the last year, including a private islet on the Thames and a waterside estate in Marlow with a 4.5 acre island.
House prices in Weybridge averaged £772,518 over the last year.
