Vol 11.5 PLATTS EYOT Part 2

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
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Les1949
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Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 5 PLATTS EYOT (Part 2)
The Island today

Further to a previous article, we get to the reason for my sudden interest in Platt’s Eyot….

As a railway enthusiast (okay, a 70 year-old train spotter) I came across an item relating to Century Millwrights, who were based on the Eyot. It would seem that they built a unique steam engine that runs on a monorail. The inventor was a Rich Morris (he died in 2019) and its maiden run, on a short length of track, was in Sunbury on Sunday 3rd December 1997. The only one made, called a Monolocco Steam Engine, is now based at the Tanat Valley Light Railway/Natmawr Visitor Centre where they are hoping to restore it back to running order.

Just as well that the engine was quite small as access to the island is over a very narrow bridge – only small vans can get over it.
It is extremely doubtful whether the engine had any practical use, perhaps Rich Morris built it, because he could!

So, what else can you find on the island now?

Apart from Boat builders perhaps the most surprising are the small enterprises found on the island, including Sound Studios…seven of them (Decimal Studios, Panic Button Studios and Stakeout Studios amongst them). They are making use of buildings that would appear from the outside to be rotting away, but have been revamped internally to highly professional standards. Our very own Sandy McLelland has made use of their facilities (You can listen to Sandy on Facebook with his fortnightly show ‘Woodshed Wednesday’).


The Island is surrounded by permanent moorings and houseboats and is an oasis of wildlife and is described as a Site of Nature Conservation. Hampton’s secret island.

The Old Historian

NB. Since I wrote this parts of the Island suffered a devasting fire which destroyed buildings and one of the 'Little Ships' that helped bring soldiers back from Dunkirk in WW2
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