Eel Pie Island: How to Visit Twickenham's Island of Artists

Have you ever crossed a footbridge in Twickenham and found yourself among turquoise cottages, boatyards and a picket fence with a Loveshack sign?

That is Eel Pie Island. It sits in the Thames at Twickenham, joined to the riverside by a single footbridge. About 120 people live on it, in around 50 homes, alongside boatyards and artists' studios. My photos here are from a summer visit.

Most of the year it is quiet and private. Twice a year the artists open their studios, and that is the time to go.

What Is Eel Pie Island?

An ait, the old word for a small Thames island. Eel Pie Island covers about 8.9 acres and runs roughly 600 metres along the river, opposite Twickenham Embankment.

It is a natural island, not a man-made one. On a map of 1741 it was still in two or three pieces.

It has been many things. A bowling alley stood here by 1635, then an inn, a hotel, a jazz club and a hippie commune. Today it is homes, workshops, the Twickenham Rowing Club and several boatyards.

Can You Visit Eel Pie Island?

Yes, but gently. Every plot and path on the island is privately owned, and a sign at the bridge says so. You can walk over and follow the central path. Gardens and fences block the river views, and the nature reserves at each end are closed.

The studios and boatyards open only on open studios weekends. The rest of the time, treat it as someone's street rather than an attraction.

The footbridge is the only way on. The first one was built in 1957, and before that you crossed by ferry. The present bridge opened in August 1998.

When Are the Eel Pie Island Open Studios?

Twice a year, usually in early July and early December. The island's artists run them together as Eel Pie Island Artists.

In 2026 the summer studios opened over two weekends, 4–5 and 11–12 July, from 11am to 5pm. Entry was free, but you had to book a two-hour slot on Eventbrite, and walk-ins weren't allowed.

Dates are announced on the Eel Pie Island Artists website and on their Facebook page.

What Will You See on Eel Pie Island?

Artists and makers at work in sheds, boathouses and garden studios. You walk from door to door along narrow paths between the gardens.

The houses are half the show. A turquoise bungalow with a red roof and a round window. A picket fence with a hand-painted Loveshack sign and a red post box behind it. Toadstool ornaments, and plants in every pot and tin.

Why Is It Called Eel Pie Island?

Because of the pies. In 1608 it was recorded as the Parish Ayte, and later as Twickenham Ait. An inn on the island was rebuilt in 1830 and became the Eel Pie Hotel, and the pies it served gave the whole island its name.

There is also a story that Henry VIII stopped here for eel pie. It is a legend, and historians doubt it.

Who Played at the Eel Pie Island Jazz Club?

The hotel's ballroom became a jazz club on 10 August 1956, with Ken Colyer's band. Arthur Chisnall took it over within weeks and ran it into the blues boom.

The Rolling Stones had a residency in 1963. Rod Stewart was discovered here in January 1964 by Long John Baldry. David Bowie played in 1964, when he was still Davie Jones. The Who and Pink Floyd played here too.

The club lost its licence in 1967. By 1970 the empty hotel held a hippie commune, and in March 1971 it burned down while it was being demolished. The Eel Pie Island Museum in Twickenham tells the whole story.

Who Else Has Lived on Eel Pie Island?

Trevor Baylis, the inventor of the wind-up radio, built his house on the island in the 1970s and developed the radio in his workshop there. He died in 2018.

The Twickenham Rowing Club, founded in 1860, has had its boathouse on the island since the 1880s. In November 1996 a fire destroyed the island's largest boatyard, and about 60 studios with it. The part that survived became Eel Pie Boatyard the following year.

What Else Is There Near Eel Pie Island?

Beside the Embankment is York House Gardens, where eight larger-than-life marble sea nymphs have stood since 1909. They were carved in Rome around 1900.

Downstream, the riverside path passes Orleans House Gallery on the way to Marble Hill House, a Palladian villa that is free to go into. From there, Hammerton's Ferry crosses to Ham, where the lavender garden at Ham House is worth the detour. For a longer day, I have written about a summer's day in Richmond.

Visiting Eel Pie Island: Practical Notes

📍 Where: Eel Pie Island, Twickenham TW1 3DY. The footbridge starts on Twickenham Embankment, at the bottom of Church Street.

📅 Open days: Open studios usually run in early July and early December. In 2026 the summer dates were 4–5 and 11–12 July.

⏰ Opening: 11am to 5pm on the 2026 open studios days.

🎫 Admission: Free, but in 2026 you had to book a two-hour slot on Eventbrite in advance.

🚇 Getting there: Twickenham station, then about ten minutes on foot down Church Street to the Embankment.

🚗 Parking: There is no parking on the island. The train is easier.

☕ Food: Church Street, a couple of minutes from the bridge, has cafés and pubs.

⏳ How long: Two hours on an open studios day, the length of a booked slot.

📷 Best time: The July open studios, when the gardens are at their fullest.

🗺️ Nearby: The Eel Pie Island Museum at 1–3 Richmond Road, open Thursday to Sunday from noon, £5. York House Gardens, Orleans House Gallery and Marble Hill House.

Have you been over the bridge to Eel Pie Island? Which studio would you go back to first?

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All photos were taken by Ina/WithinLondon, unless stated otherwise.