Couple U-turn on downsizing plans by buying £3m private island mansion

A couple who briefly considered downsizing their home have made a dramatic U-turn – by splashing the cash on a River Thames private island mansion worth £3million.

Andy and Sheila Hill first spotted the overgrown D’Oyly Carte Island, near Weybridge, Surrey years ago while kayaking along the Thames.

They were immediately intrigued by the ‘ridiculous’ patch of land and its eye-catching derelict property, but the house was not for sale at the time.

But their patience soon paid off, with the owner’s agent getting back to them in 2021 and the couple eventually buying the island and home.

Instead of downsizing their house in Richmond, southwest London, they took on the ambitious task of renovating the 13-bedroom mansion.

The music entrepreneur, 67, and his wife, 66, described how they got drawn in by the colossal project to ‘bring it back to life’.

Andy said: ‘My wife is very creative and she could see through what was essentially a derelict property. Every window was smashed and boarded up, the garden had metres of brambles in it.

‘She turned to me and said, “that is so sad, we should do something about it.”

After they bought the property, Andy said the family felt up to the challenge of restoring the place to its former glory, with Sheila being a former student of the Royal College of Art and their two children both architects.

He added that it was the ‘best decision they ever made’ despite the dust and construction noise.

‘It would have been so sad to see it demolished as it has such a rich history and culture,’ Andy said.

‘When we told them that we were interested in this ridiculous house on this ridiculous island my family were very excited because it was quite a different project.

‘It gave us a lot of confidence to take the plunge and give it a go.

‘You just have a gut feel. It is so unique, there aren’t many private islands on the Thames.

‘We had no idea what to do with it. We just wanted a nice family home. We thought it would be a great place to have family reunions.’

The couple have had their work cut out since they started work in the mansion, from repairing a shattered glass dome which was responsible for flooding in the hallway to converting a ‘horrible’ former boat house at the end of the island into a lively bar called D’Oyly’s.

Indeed, the private land has become something of a party destination for family events, music concerts, and even Pilates classes. 

The pair are now able to host their three children and three grandchildren regularly, as well as throwing grand family birthday parties.

Their new home was even visited by Princess Anne in February to thank them for their efforts to restore the cultural landmark, which is named after the late 19th century owner Richard D’Oyly Carte, a London theatre impresario who Andy described as the ‘Simon Cowell of the 1800s’. 

Mr D’Oyly Carte also built the Savoy Hotel and produced the first operettas from Gilbert And Sullivan. 

Andy added: ‘I think the expression no pain no gain is very true.

‘It is great being here and watching the place improve. We are seeing lots of progress every day. It is fun to see what was a dead island and house be brought back to life.

‘It is a lovely place to live, but we do have to work around the renovations. I have no regrets whatsoever. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing.’

Inspired by the island’s rich music history, Andy has also decided to host summer concerts as part of the Weybridge Festival.

After a successful run last year, he has planned for the three-day event to come back on July 4-6 with live music, a hog roast, a Pimm’s tent, face paint, and other activities.

The entrepreneur met with many representatives to discuss how to make the event safe, and said he invested around £35,000 to ensure the island passed all the necessary requirements.

Elmbridge Borough Council had originally opposed plans, but has now given the green light after escape plans were put in place in case of emergency.

There is a secure footbridge from the mainland to D’Oyly Carte, which is only about 50 yards away and Andy claims his island is safer than the mainland as there is no traffic and it is much harder for people to sneak in.

He said: ‘It is not dangerous. Nobody is going to burn to death on an island 50 yards from the mainland.

‘It is an amazingly calm place to live. It really does feel like a party house and a fun house. We have the perfect balance.

‘It was always going to be an expensive project and we were happy with that.’

The left-field decision to move on to an island is becoming more popular with one young couple revealing how they’re saving a whopping £20,000 a year on renting in London – by moving to an island only accessible by boat.

Adventurous couple Sacha Pritchard, 25, and Matt King, 28, moved to their island in Hampton on the River Thames after spending seven years in ‘cramped seven-person flat shares’.

Three months on, they said it was the ‘best decision’ they had ever made, and would never have been able to afford their spacious one-bedroom bungalow in the capital’s centre.

Their new home boasts a front garden with beautiful riverside views, while a boat to get them to shore is included in the rental price.

However, as the island doesn’t have a bridge, Sacha and Matt are completely reliant on their little motorboat, and have been stranded when the engine has failed.

They also have to pile all their bags onto the boat after doing a food shop, and have to make the journey to the mainland at least every other day to take the bins out.

Sacha also uses the boat to commute to her 9 to 5 job four days a week.

Taking to her TikTok account @LondonIslandLiving, Sacha explained that their new living situation ‘isn’t for everyone’, but that she and Matt ‘love it’.

Last June, an island in the middle of the River Thames went on sale for just £75,000 – far less than the price of an average London flat.

The property is close to the homes of celebrities including Hollywood heartthrob Orlando Bloom and rock star Liam Gallagher.

Images show an island listed as ‘land for sale’ measuring about 2,000sq ft in the 1,099-population village of Bisham in Berkshire, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

The seller previously used the site, which comes with a fetching stone pergola, for mooring a private vessel as well as private entertainment and fishing.

Temple Weir Island was being advertised for sale by estate agent Savills.

Property agent Richard Maby has told how the property which provides 250ft of river frontage would make the ‘perfect spot’ for rest and relaxation.

He said: ‘The seller has used the island for mooring a private vessel and recreational use, such as private entertainment and fishing.

‘One side has a built-up mooring, the other a more natural tree-lined bank. A domed stone pergola also stands in the middle of the island, which makes for an interesting and attractive feature.

‘It’s a rare opportunity for someone to purchase their own off-grid sanctuary.

‘For those with a spirit for adventure, who are looking for somewhere they can escape to after a busy day, it’s the perfect hideaway.’

A handful of intriguing small private islands on the Thames in Surrey house some of the world’s most rich and famous, alongside ordinary Brits looking for an idyllic escape from the city.

However, island life, while beautiful, carries an element of risk. With these small pockets of land only accessible by boat or a narrow path, there is no guarantee emergency services will be able to reach residents in time during a crisis.

For Andrew Philip, who lives in one of just 23 homes on Pharaoh’s Island, Surrey, this unfortunate drawback is something he is all too aware of.

Mr Philip’s dream riverside home he bought with his wife in 2001 was engulfed by flames in April last year and suffered severe damage as a result.

With no bridge connecting the island to the mainland, fire services struggled to access his home and both he and his family have been living in rental accommodation ever since.

Holding his 18-month-old baby, the island’s youngest resident, he said that he felt ‘lucky’ to have escaped.

As work on rebuilding his home gathered pace in January, he was eagerly anticipating returning to his beloved waterside residence with his young family.

Mr Philip added: ‘It is slightly nerve-wracking living so close to water, we’ve got to be really careful and keep a close eye on him (his son).

‘Every few years our lawns will get flooded. But, it is a really lovely community, the other day somebody lost power on one of their boats and everyone messaged to try and help.’

Many Brits searching for peace and quiet and a cheaper life have been flocking to a quaint seaside town that has become the new downsizing capital of Britain.

In the lovely town of Exmouth, Devon, homes remain on the market for just 26 days on average before they are sold, MailOnline can reveal.

Purplebricks analysis has revealed the town as the most desired place to downsize in, with homes being snapped up less than a month after they’ve been put on the market on average.

That is despite homes costing a whopping £73,000 more than a typical house in the rest of the UK.

The average price of an Exmouth home is £341,268, which is well above the UK average of £268,087.

Yet locals speaking to MailOnline said they weren’t surprised Exmouth had become the downsizing capital.

They said the beautiful sea air was a draw to many people of differing ages, both those looking for somewhere to retire but also young parents looking to bring up their children somewhere peaceful.

Local primary school teacher and mother-of-two Georgia Wright, 34, said: ‘It is a gorgeous place to live and it’s relatively safe and nice to bring up your kids in.

‘We’ve talked about moving and we just don’t want to leave the beach.’