Eel Pie Island Summer Open Studios

There aren’t that many bits of London that are actually secret anymore, but the residents of Eel Pie Island have done a very good job at keeping their island as clandestine as possible. Only accessible by boat or via a little footbridge reaching over the river, a ‘private property’ sign at the entrance usually keeps people out, except for twice a year when the public is allowed to snoop around the place at the island’s Open Studios event. The summer open days are usually a laidback affair and a chance to see inside the workspaces of 26 artists, from painters and potters to sculptors. View, commission or purchase yourself some art or craft and leave having experienced a still-hidden part of the city.