Previously known as Twickenham Ait or simply 'the Parish Ayte', Eel Pie Island is an 8.934 acre (3.6 ha) island in London's Thames stretch, sitting between Twickenham and the Ham riverside lands. Despite its tiny size, the island is the largest and most colorful in the London region of the river. Eel Pie Island has existed for centuries. Some historians believe it was previously a monastery, while others argue that Henry VIII used it as a wooing place for his numerous mistresses. Because of that, Eel Pie Island is probably considered at the top of the list when it comes to strange locations to visit in London.
First off, it was great to be on tour. The weather was lovely, not too hot, and the staff approached us warmly and friendlily. The first location we went to was the Eel Pie Island Museum. As we entered the museum, my initial thought was that the exhibits were fascinating, and there was a great deal of information to be found on Eel Pie Island's history and significance over the years.
The Museum tells us the incredible history of the place.
The first thing that we saw was the statue of Trevor Baylis, the Eel Island's favourite inventor. According to the museum, Baylis began his career as a diver performing stunts to advertise swimming pools and came close to representing Great Britain as a swimmer in the 1956 Olympics. Aside from that, he was also a stuntman, and the creator of the wind-up radio, among other things. It's an honor that we got to see these beautiful inventions.
The next thing that got our attention was the beautiful and colorful panels that eight children and young people created as part of Richmond upon Thames' Culture 4 Keeps programme. One could quickly notice that children's wild and vast imaginations created the panels due to the strange yet wonderful characters painted. For instance, one created the "Eel Pie” as a giant pie who meets “Stargazey Pie”, with fish and birds jumping out of it.
Aside from the colorful panels, we also saw an Eel Pie Island collage which George Parkinson creatively constructed.
One could say that pictures are the closest time machine we have. It was my initial thought when I saw the old pictures of the Eel Pie Island. It brought a nostalgic feeling to me even though I did not live in the year it was taken.
Aside from the pictures, there were also various kinds of bottles that were found on the grounds of what used to be the Eel Pie Hotel kitchen garden. These bottles were eventually donated by John and Anne Perry to the museum.
Aside from these, the museum's primary focus is to show the rich history of Eel Pie Island and its importance in the history of modern popular music.
For instance, it showed the interesting background of the iconic Davy Jones' early days with The Rolling Stones before he needed to change his name to David Bowie.
Aside from that, there's a lot of interesting music history in the area. Eel Pie Island Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the origins of rock and blues in London.
Overall, everything in the museum is well-organized and presented nicely. I commend the staff because they were amusing and informative. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and, at the same time, learned a lot from the things we saw and the tales we heard.
As we got out of the museum, we were greeted by the beautiful sunshine that drove us further to wander around the area.
Along the way, we saw the St. Mary's Church which is also known as St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham. It is an ancient church that once served as the parish church for the whole of Twickenham. But due to housing development in the 19th and 20th centuries, new parishes emerged around the area.
We also wandered into Church Street, which took its name from St Mary's Church, and is still considered a focal point on the bend at the top of Church Lane. Additionally, it is often called Twickenham's jewel in the crown. Great pubs, restaurants, odd retail businesses, a cobbler, art galleries, and antiques may all be found here. It is also full of history, and the street gives an aesthetic feeling which is why, they said, it is famous among filmmakers.
After the walking tour in Church Street, one of the staff walked us out to the river where Eel Pie Island is. She walked us along the outside of the river across from the island as she told us loads of history about the island. The scenery was terrific, and the birds wandering also added to the peaceful feeling the area gives.
It was also interesting that people were rowing on the river. Because of that, I learned that there is a rowing club in Twickenham founded in 1860 and is one of the oldest and largest rowing clubs in London. I think that their location is excellent because they are able to row in London's most beautiful stretch of the Thames.
We also got to see Hammerton's Ferry. It was established in 1908 by Walter Hammerton, a local Twickenham family member, to carry people across the river for a fee.
As we continued the tour, the staff occasionally showed us the old picture of the place, and it made me realize how the historic place began.
For instance, the staff showed us this picture of the famous hotel that existed earlier in Twickenham. The hotel is no longer there, but a pedestrian walkway allows you to visit and explore the island.
We strolled further and saw these intriguing statues across the river.
While wandering, we saw the unique and quirky Barmy Arms, a lovely riverfront pub in Twickenham's historic district. It is more than a quirky pub because it also holds a fascinating history. The owner used to put up the Christmas tree upside down; hence it was renamed the Barmy Arms in the 1970s from its previous name, Queens Head Hotel.
Along the tour, I noticed some Bohemian artists and interesting characters that live on the island. Like the Lion Boathouse, which is home to about 26 artists' studios, one could notice the quirky little settlement of artists, artisans, inventors, boat builders and musicians based on the design of the houses.
There wasn't much to see on the Eel Pie Island itself, but the history is fascinating, and we went on a walking tour to learn all about the past. It is not like a big party place or a beautiful day retreat from the city, like it used to be.
