About MDL

In 1959, the first planning application by company Surrey Sand & Gravel for a marina on the Penton Hook site was rejected by the local authority. ‘The establishment of a Yacht Basin would be the introduction of an undesirable industry to the River Thames’ was recorded in the minutes. After a second application, planning permission was granted and the first berth holder arrived on 1 April 1960.

Robin Aisher, bronze medallist in the 5.5m class at the Mexico Summer Olympics and part of the Marley Tiles Building Materials empire, bought Penton Hook in 1972. At the time, the site was basically a sand and gravel business with a mobile home park next door. A year later we acquired the site, and it has now grown to become Britain’s largest inland marina with 575 berths.

Windsor Yacht Club was founded by six owners keen to discuss boating experiences and improve their handling skills. Early meetings took place in the Bray Village Hall before a temporary caravan was parked in the marina grounds. By 1978 the club had a growing membership, and it was decided to build a clubhouse, which was completed in 1982. It provided a bar and space for meetings with spectacular views of the river.

The stretch of river above Windsor Marina that leads to Cookham, Marlow, Hurley and Sonning was immortalised in Jerome K. Jerome’s book Three Men in a Boat. Many have set out to re-live the adventures of Montmorency and his chums.

Bray Marina is situated on land owned by Eton College. An enterprising Bray developer, John Pardoe, gained permission to drive a passage through from the river into a flooded gravel pit to create a boat haven. The first boat through was the 20ft Seamaster Patsy Girl.

Torquay Marina was one of the UK’s first town centre marinas.

Northney Marina was originally conceived as the Las Vegas of the South Coast by an ambitious Hayling Island property developer. The vision was of a waterfront nightclub and resort complex to rival anything the United States had to offer – a cabaret with boats. In the 1976 brochure, members (£30 a year plus VAT) were offered the promise of a ‘glittering night of sophistication at the Marina Club. You can wine, dine and dance in the Stardust Room to the Jack Hawkins Orchestra and Singers’.

The project stalled financially and fell into the hands of the receivers after a conflict with local planners over an adjoining housing development.

Northney artist’s impression

Northney advert

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The 23-acre Woolverstone site was once part of the estate surrounding Woolverstone Hall. Lord Berners used to keep his steam yacht at the landing place known as Cat House Hard. According to local custom, smugglers gave the brick house the name Cat House in the 18th century. If there were no revenue men about and it was safe to land contraband, the shore party would put a china cat in the windows of the house.

During the Second World War, the Royal Navy took over Woolverstone Hall and it became HMS Woolverstone for the period of the hostilities. The military laid the concrete road and slipway which was still in use 50 years later. The facility was heavily used for the training of Army and Navy landing craft personnel, and was heavily guarded in the run-up to D-Day.

Whilst digging out the foundations for the new boat bays at Woolverstone in 1960, a flint axe was found dating back to the Neolithic period of the Stone Age. It now resides in the local museum.

Originally based at Hamble Point Marina, Fairy Marine developed the iconic Fairey Huntress from a ‘Deep V’ design in the late 1950s in response to the demand at that time for fast motorboats. This single engine motor cruiser soon became synonymous with style and performance after being launched onto the world stage with a starring role in the 1963 James Bond film, From Russia with Love.

When Fairey production came to an end at Hamble Point in 1974, production of aluminium boats, including the 1986 America’s Cup 12-metre challenger White Crusader, continued under the banner of Cougar Marine.

We have supported the Ocean Youth Trust (South) sail training charity for over 30 years with free berthing at our coastal marinas. Over 10,000 young people from all walks of life have been given the chance to experience adventure under sail.

Richard Branson’s record-breaking Atlantic Challenger was one of the first boats through the Hythe Marina lock gates.

During the early stages of the Ocean Village development, many 80ft long piles were driven into the seabed to hold the pontoons. The dock had originally been created to house ocean-going ships and had 8m of depth below chart datum. This is now perfect parking for superyachts and ocean racers.

The famous Yellow Welly Café was set up by the marina team at Shamrock Quay for the varied tenants based onsite. Dancers in leotards, from the dance studio in the old Camper and Nicholson sail loft, and construction workers in hard hats were served hot food and drinks throughout the day.

QAB Marina received an important seal of approval when the Royal Western Yacht Club moved from Plymouth Hoe to the marina. This was a priority move for the club after a storm flooded its Hoe premises leaving a high tide mark a third of the way up a portrait of the patron – His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip.

Steinlager was delayed entering Ocean Village Marina following the 1989/90 Whitbread Race by the Southampton customs service, who rummaged the yacht thoroughly. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as the corner of the marina, set aside for the race fleet, had only just been dredged. An hour or so before she arrived the tide was at its lowest it had been all year. Steinlager moored up to garlands of flowers, fireworks and about an inch of water under her massive keel!

1989/90 Whitbread Race boat Silk Cut was renamed Shark Bite to get around the French ban on cigarette advertising at the time.

The Yattendon Group has subsidiary companies operating not just in marinas but property, local media and landed estates, including round 9,500 acres of farmland, mixed commercial woodland and residential property. Yattendon is one of the largest producers of Christmas trees in the UK and also owns two pubs, a farm shop, Yattendon Village Stores, and the Renegade Brewery which occupies a site converted from a dairy unit.

A lady driving a Volvo took a wrong turn off the marina road at Ocean Village, straight into the water to shouts of “You can’t park there!!!” Although under water for nearly four minutes, she was revived and fully recovered.

Chatham’s history is inextricably linked with our naval heritage. More than 400 Royal Navy ships were built in Chatham Dockyard over a period spanning four centuries.

Since its launch, our customers have earned over £1.3m. The rewards are a unique points-based system that can be used to ‘buy’ products and services from MDL and our onsite tenants.

MDL now produces over 150,000 kWh of electricity, the equivalent of planting over 2,000 trees and saving over 45,000 kgs of carbon. The 100 SolarEdge panels convert the sun’s energy into current and the electricity produced is used on site, with any unused electricity being returned to the grid.