D'Oyly Carte Island is a small private island in the River Thames, England, administratively and historically part of Weybridge, near its other inhabited islands and near part of Old Shepperton, on the reach above Sunbury Lock, 200 metres downstream from Shepperton Lock. Before 1890 the island was known as Folly Eyot. The impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte bought the island in about 1890 and built the 13-bedroom Eyot House on the property. His widow sold the island, and it was last sold in 2021.
The wooded island is 145 metres in length, and apart from its two points, 30 to 45 metres in width. [1] It is 16.8 miles (27.0 km) from Charing Cross, London. [2] [1] Weybridge is the parish [3] and post town. Elmbridge and Surrey County Council are the district and county-level local authorities. [4]
The island was called Folly Eyot until the eponymous owner bought it. Richard D'Oyly Carte was the producer of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas from 1875 to 1896, founder of the Savoy Theatre and Royal English Opera House (now the Palace Theatre) in London, and a hotelier. He bought the island in about 1890 and gave it his middle name and surname. [5]
Carte intended to use the island as a special secluded annex, accessible by boat, to his new Savoy Hotel, but a panel of local magistrates refused to grant him an alcoholic drinks licence for the property. [5] Instead, Carte had a 13-bedroom mansion, Eyot House, built on the island, and it became one of his main residences. [6] [7] Among the famous guests who stayed at the house were the dramatist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan. [8] In later years, Carte displayed his macabre sense of humour by keeping a crocodile on the island. [9]
Carte died in 1901, and his widow Helen (1852–1913) sold the island early in the 20th century. [10] In the 1920s it was owned by Sir George May. [11] In the 1940s it operated as a hotel. In subsequent decades, it was converted to flats for rent and then converted back into a private house. [11] It was later owned by Chinese businessman Chunlei Mi, the husband of Chinese TV presenter Dong Qing. [6] House Beautiful reported that by 2019, the abandoned house had "lost the grandeur of its Victorian glory days". [10] The mansion and island were sold in August 2021 for just over £3m. [6] The purchaser, Andy Hill, is restoring the property and intends to hold events there including the production of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera. [12] The first public concert was scheduled to be held on the island in June 2023. [13]
Eyot House has a large garden, which Carte and his wife helped to design, surrounded by trees. [7] [14] The house has 13 bedrooms, five bathrooms, four reception rooms, a ballroom and 1.9 acres (0.8 ha) of grounds. [10] It incorporates fairytale elements on the facade, including gargoyle and crocodile carvings in the eaves. The property includes nearby land on the mainland with parking for more than 20 cars. [6]
A single-span footbridge built in 1964 provides access to the house, whereas, previously, the island was reached by pulling oneself across the river on a chain ferry. [11] The bridge consists of the high arch of a single steel box girder, with treads, brutalist railings and gates. [15] The island has moorings for small boats. [2]
Richard D'Oyly Carte was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establishing an opera company that ran continuously for over a hundred years and a management agency representing some of the most important artists of the day.
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district in Surrey, England, around 17 mi (27 km) southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as Waigebrugge and Weibrugge in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the River Wey, which flows into the River Thames to the north of the town centre. The earliest evidence of human activity is from the Bronze Age. During the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, Weybridge was held by Chertsey Abbey. In 2011 it had a population of 15,449.
Elmbridge is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher, and other notable towns and villages include Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Molesey. The borough lies just outside the administrative boundary of Greater London, but is mostly within the M25 motorway which encircles London. Many of the borough's urban areas form part of the wider Greater London Built-up Area.
Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about 15 mi (24 km) southwest of central London. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide range of transport links. According to the 2011 Census, the town has a total population of 22,834. The town itself consists mostly of suburban streets, with a historic town centre of Celtic origin. It is one of the largest towns in Elmbridge, alongside Weybridge.
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about 185 miles (298 km) long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996.
Wheatley's Ait or Wheatley Eyot is an ait (island) in the River Thames of approximately 8 hectares on the reach above Sunbury Lock, close to the northern side and in the post town Sunbury-on-Thames however in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England.
Rutland Barrington was an English singer, actor, comedian and Edwardian musical comedy star. Best remembered for originating the lyric baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1896, his performing career spanned more than four decades. He also wrote at least a dozen works for the stage.
Shepperton Lock is a lock on the River Thames, in England by the left bank at Shepperton, Surrey. It is across the river from Weybridge which is nearby linked by a passenger ferry.
Esher Urban District was an urban district in Surrey, England created by merging two urban districts and adding two parishes to the south-west. It existed from 1933 to 1974 and was governed by the elected Esher Urban District Council which shared local government functions with Surrey County Council. Its main building was the large town hall in Esher.
Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey on the right bank.
Weybridge Rowing Club, founded in 1881, is a rowing club by the Thames in England, on the Surrey bank. The club organises head races, notably the Weybridge Silver Sculls which has had Olympian winners and co-organises a May/June regatta. It consists of a wide range of members: juniors, novices, seniors, masters (veterans) – these include many past and present champions.
Desborough Island is a 112-acre (0.45 km2) manmade island in the River Thames on the reach above Sunbury Lock in Surrey, England. It was formed in the 1930s by the digging of a channel – the Desborough Cut – by the Thames Conservancy as a meander cutoff of narrow width on the right bank. The island and cut are named after Lord Desborough, a chairman of the Thames Conservancy.
Sunbury Lock is a lock complex of the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey, the third lowest of forty four on the non-tidal reaches. The complex adjoins the right, southern bank about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) downstream of the Weir Hotel.
Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton, crossing the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.
The Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames in Surrey, England. The service has operated almost continuously for over 500 years.
Tagg's Island is an ait (island) on the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock and just above Ash Island, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and part of Hampton. The island is roughly 400 metres long by 90 metres wide at its widest point, covering 6 acres. Although close to the Surrey bank near East Molesey, Surrey, the island is connected to the further Middlesex bank by a single track road bridge, being the only island on the non-tidal Thames accessible by car.
Hamhaugh Island is an island, historically known simply as Stadbury, in the River Thames in England south of Shepperton Lock, in Shepperton, Surrey.
Lock Island is an island in the River Thames in England connected to Shepperton Lock, near Shepperton. Facing the attached by lock-gate bridge mainland is a hedge-lined lawn hosting a café, below and above zones of free short-stay moorings. The Thames River Police have a station on the island. Shepperton Canoe Club and Weybridge Mariners' Boat Club face part of the Weybridge side. The island is connected to Hamhaugh Island by a walkway across the main weir, in turn having a closed-access weir to Hamm Court, Addlestone.
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan is a 1953 British musical drama film dramatisation of the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan. Librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, portrayed by Robert Morley and Maurice Evans, co-wrote fourteen extraordinarily successful comic operas, later referred to as the Savoy Operas, which continue to be popular today.
Robert Scott Fishe was an English operatic baritone and actor best remembered for creating roles in the 1890s with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.
