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.
-
What the hedge can tell us about the countryside, with Richard Negus
The hedge is much more than just a barrier between one field and the next. Richard Negus joins the Country Life Podcast to discuss his work, his latest book and how he's being tapped up to switch cricket clubs.
By James Fisher Published
-
Country Life August 20 2025
Country Life August 20 2025 is the Scottish Issue, featuring glorious Glamis Castle, 47 pages of the best Scottish property for sale, John Buchan, and the Glasgow Boys
By Country Life Published
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courts
Fords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
By Penny Churchill Last updated
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agents
Savills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
By Toby Keel Published
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?
The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
By Will Hosie Published
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
A spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boats
This summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'
Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in Pembroke
Thorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in Sussex
If there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published