Pharaoh's Island, River Thames

See also Pharaoh's Island in Egypt.

Pharaoh's Island from The Thames Court (taken when the river was red-boarded to navigation)

Pharaoh's Island is an island in the River Thames, in Surrey, England, 270 m upstream of Shepperton Lock.

Overview

The island has a length of 280 m and a maximum width of 60 m. Shepperton Lock is 270 m downstream and two other channels leading to weirs diverge off after the island to its southeast. These channels then surround Lock Island and Hamhaugh Island.^[1] The island is only accessible by boat, with the facilities of Lock Island downstream and moorings there or by the pub The Thames Court almost opposite its eastern tip on the nearer, north bank.

River Level

Above the lock, the variation in river level has been between 0.08 m at the lock gate and 0.99 m. This compares favourably to variation below the lock at between 2.67 m and 4.95 m in depth.^[2]

History

It was given to Admiral Nelson after the Battle of the Nile (1798). He used it as a fishing retreat.

Residential Development

Since the late 20th century it has hosted 14 homes with individual moorings.^[3] Each of the properties has an Egyptian name.^[4]

Deaths in January 2011

In January 2011, a small dinghy ferrying people from the island capsized with the loss of two lives. The fatalities were named as university professor Dr Rex Walford OBE ^[5] and record producer Keith Lowde.^[6]

See also

• Islands in the River Thames

References

1. Grid Reference Finder distance tools
2. Environment Agency daily measurements at lock stations Retrieved 2013-07-14
3. Grid square map Ordnance survey website
4. Caroline McGhie (26 July 2006). "Nelson's Egypt-on-Thames". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
5. Mike Younger and Joan Whitehead (10 March 2011). "Rex Walford obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
6. The Sun news report Retrieved 23 January 2011

• "Shepperton Lock". The River Thames Guide. Retrieved 2009-01-08.

Coordinates: 51°22′57″N 00°27′53″W / 51.38250°N 0.46472°W