All aboard! This incredibly-renovated coal barge turned riverboat in St Katharine Docks offers a floating alternative to city living
Complete with a sauna, over 5,000 sq ft of contemporary living space and a large foredeck perfect for entertaining, Matrix Island is 'one of the River Thames most luxurious houseboats.'
In the 1920s, Matrix Island was a steel-construction coal barge chugging down the River Seine; now, with a hull painted pale grey and sporting a natty orange stripe, she’s possibly the most luxurious houseboat on the Thames, floating next to her private pontoon (a rented mooring) at St Katharine’s Docks.
The unique vessel is currently on the market with joint agents Dexters and River Homes for £3 million.
More than 5,000sq ft of accommodation over two levels includes five spacious bedrooms, a walk-in wardrobe, four bathrooms, sauna and a vast open-plan kitchen/dining/living room, plus another sitting room with an unusual hanging log-burner, an office with a view of Tower Bridge and lots of storage areas, not to mention a 50ft fore deck with a retractable glass enclosure, open deck area and a jet ski/tender platform.
Matrix Island was originally converted by a French film producer.
Matrix Island is currently on the market via joint agents Dexters and River Homes for £3 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
St Katharine Docks: What you need to know
Location: In Central London, just east of the city. Tower Hill Underground offers Circle and District lines, Tower Gateway offers DLR services and London Fenchurch Street offers National Rail services.
Atmosphere: As central London's only marina — and with Tower Bridge and the Tower of London as neighbours, the diverse marina enjoys a thriving waterside community and welcomes vessels from all over the world, and crowds often gather to watch them dock.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Things to do: Every Friday the dock hosts the World Food Market and there are coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets within the vicinity.
Schools: Hermitage Primary School and St Peter's London Docks C of E Primary School are two local options. For secondary there is Wapping High School, Mulberry School for Girls and The City of London School.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Annunciata is director of contemporary art gallery TIN MAN ART and an award-winning journalist specialising in art, culture and property. Previously, she was Country Life’s News & Property Editor. Before that, she worked at The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, researched for a historical biographer and co-founded a literary, art and music festival in Oxfordshire. Lancashire-born, she lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and a mischievous pug.
-
Bare roots: How to find the perfect rose and how to plant itTabi Jackson Gee moved to a cottage in Wiltshire, and went about finding the perfect rose to bring light and colour to the garden.
By Tabi Jackson Gee Published
-
Flying backwards, pink milk, and holding your breath. A Country Life quiz of animal factsDo you know the difference between a bobbit worm and a mantis shrimp? You will soon.
By Country Life Published
-
An Arts-and-Crafts home that sits in prime position in the most exclusive (and priciest) road in HampshireWith its own private jetty on the Beaulieu River, The Rookery is a rare and beautiful home. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A home where medieval, Georgian and modern come together in rare styleSet in a couple of acres in the leafy outskirts of Essex, Rochfords is a family house that blends old and new with charm and a sense of fun.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A private island in the Thames Estuary is up for sale at £50,000, complete with its own Victorian fortDarnet Fort is seeking a new owner — but it's going to need someone of great vision and spirit.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 500-year-old house with Soho House-style interiors, Chelsea gold medallist gardens and a grass tennis courtHaslingfield Manor is an extraordinary mix of styles and ideas, from Tudor Britain to the cutting edge of modern design. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Utterly wonderful country homes for sale across Britain, from a 10-bedroom mansion to a Devon hideaway, as seen in Country LifeFrom an irresistibly charming house in Devon to a 400-year-old commutable home in Hertfordshire, here's our pick of some of the best homes to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The London house where Rolls-Royce's co-founder Charles Rolls tinkered with his very first car is for sale at £17 millionCharles Rolls, the engineer and co-founder of Rolls-Royce, got his hands dirty when using the stables of this fine London home as a makeshift garage. Annabel Dixon reports.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A vineyard for sale on the slopes above 'the best beach in Britain' is for sale at just £650,000In the beautifully unspoilt Devon village of Bantham, an award-winning vineyard is for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The ultimate Black Friday sale? A £15 million castle reduced to £7.5 millionThe art and science of being an estate agent is never trickier than when dealing with homes that are being sold for the first time in centuries — and Ripley Castle in Yorkshire provides the perfect example. Lucy Denton explains more.
By Lucy Denton Published
