A barge that was formerly a floating hotel has hit the market for £1m – leaving its owners very glad they invested in it.
Bonheur was originally a Dutch barge, but was later converted into a restaurant, and then a floating hotel.
Previous owners had transformed the barge into a luxury hotel for four people – two couples at a time.
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Before than it was a French restaurant on the Seine in Paris, reports What’s The Jam.
The barge, which dates back to 1926, was purchased by James and Henrietta Odgers in 2016.
The couple used it as their London home – but now that they live in a bricks-and-mortar property in Exeter, Devon, they are finally selling.
Bonheur boasts more than 1,450sq ft of living space, including three spacious double bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom.
James, whose parents had owned a houseboat in Chelsea when he was growing up, said finding Bonheur was “meant to be”.
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He explained: “I come from a family of sailors and Cornish ancestors who were wreckers off the coast many hundreds of years ago.
“So the idea of living on the water is pretty natural for me.
“It is very sad to be selling it now as we have so many happy memories of being there, and having wonderful suppers and the odd party on deck, watching the sun go down.
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“All things have to come to an end – the last of the children are moving on and we come up less and less these days.
“It is ready for another couple or family with teenagers to take on; they could even fulfil a dream of mine and take her to the top of the Loire and go down seeing all the chateaux.
“We never got round to that.”
When they purchased Bonheur, James and Henrietta arranged for the barge to be moved through the French canals to Calais.
Then it was moved across the Channel to first Gravesend in Kent, and then onto Battersea, where Bonheur offers panoramic views of the River Thames.
The heart of the home is a 30ft x 13ft open-plan living area, featuring a wood-burning stove and a well-appointed kitchen, plus ample space for dining and entertaining.
There’s also central heating to ensure year-round comfort, and large windows flood the space with natural light.
A separate master cabin sits beyond the newly rebuilt wheelhouse, offering privacy for owners or guests.
The barge also features extensive under-floor storage, a FiatAifo/Iveco 180HP diesel engine, and shore-connected utilities.
It is being offered with a rare 105-year lease on a secure mooring at Oyster Pier, just moments from Battersea Square.
James added: “We bought the barge as we were looking for somewhere fun to live in London as we were there a lot…
“I had a lot of charity work in London so had to be up there every week and our children began to come to live there, too, as they left university and arrived in London for their first jobs.
“There is a good-sized cabin with its own en suite bathroom and a separate entrance, so it was easy for us to come up there whenever we needed to.
“All their friends have loved coming to visit, as it does not feel like London at all.”
The barge is listed with RiverHomes for £1m.
