Full Details

This former coal barge, that comes with its own tidal mooring in Gosport, near Portsmouth, has been completely redeveloped by its current owners who have built upwards from the original hull to create beautiful two-floor living. With three bedrooms, a large open plan living area and its own deck, the 1250 sq ft home would rival any traditional house, but has the benefit of waterside views and mobile living.

Over a beautiful wood and rope walkway, you enter the boat through a front door handmade from wood reclaimed from Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight, including a bronze vintage porthole. The top deck is taken entirely with a substantial open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen, as well as a separate WC. At the opposite end, large bi-fold doors open out to a deck – with Ekki decking reclaimed from a water tower in Liverpool and its own barbecue. From here you can sit and watch the wide sea views. Downstairs, three bedrooms and a large master bathroom which has a full-sized bath, separate shower, double sinks and underfloor heating. The wooden flooring across both floors is taken from a Victorian school in Portsmouth, dating back to 1865.

Some technical details:

Formerly used on the canal linking Leeds to Liverpool, the barge was built approximately in the 1940s – 1950s. The hull itself has been restored, with specialist metal blasting inside and out. Externally, the boat is clad with white Marley Eternit Cedral Weatherboard and Iroko wood tongue and groove. Water comes through from the mains on shore, and the water costs are included in the mooring fees. It is also connected to the mains electric with its own digital meter in the utility room. A Valiant Eco Tech Plus LPG Boiler supplies hot water to nine reclaimed cast iron radiators, two towel rails and the shower. The boat has three smoke alarms and two heat alarms which are hardwired. The mooring is residential and costs approx £1165 per quarter. There is a small entrance yard, where the owners have built a shepherd’s hut and wood store. In addition, there is secure car parking.

Gosport and the surrounding area:

The boat is moored in Gosport, and Portsmouth is a quick ferry ride away (it takes only 4 minutes and ferries run every 7.5 minutes during peak times). From Portsmouth there are frequent trains to London (Waterloo) as well as connections to towns throughout the south east, and regular ferries and high-speed services to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. The mooring is next to a nature reserve and just down the road there’s a sailing club and marina. Of course, the beauty of a boat is, if you’d prefer it to be in another area – you can have it moved.