Pharaoh's Island, River Thames facts for kids

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 (300 yds) 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. 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 with variation below the lock at between 2.67 m and 4.95 m in depth.

History

It was purchased by the Treasury to give to Admiral Nelson after the Battle of the Nile (1798). He used it as a fishing retreat. The island was known as Dog Ait until at least of the end of the 19th century. Tory MP and High Court Judge Sir Cyril Atkinson built the first house on the island in 1903 and named it Sphinx due to his interest in Egyptology.

Media representations

As the home of his family, the island was the setting for director John Boorman's two semi-autobiographical films: Hope and Glory in 1987 and Queen and Country in 2014.