1 0 ▁the ▁wooden ▁lock ▁gates ▁were ▁replaced ▁with ▁steel ▁gates ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁£ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁camp ing ▁island ▁ ▁The ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁Sh ip la ke ▁Lock ▁Island ▁by ▁the ▁Corporation ▁was ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁amen ities ▁for ▁bath ing ▁and ▁camp ing . ▁It ▁was ▁managed ▁by ▁the ▁Corporation ' s ▁City ▁Land s ▁Committee . ▁However , ▁man aging ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁proved ▁a ▁problem ▁and ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁let ▁in ▁perpet u ity ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁to ▁the ▁Th ames ▁Conserv ancy . ▁The ▁camp ▁was ▁then ▁divided ▁into ▁ 1 8 ▁plots ▁and ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁lock ▁keep ers . ▁ ▁So on ▁after ▁taking ▁over , ▁the ▁Conserv ancy ▁allowed ▁h uts ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁near ▁the ▁t ents . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁restricted ▁to ▁cook ing ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁sleep ing . ▁( At ▁that ▁time , ▁ladies ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁sleep ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁at ▁all , ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁ret ire ▁to ▁wooden ▁h uts ▁on ▁the ▁Sh ip la ke ▁bank ). ▁ ▁The ▁Th ames ▁Conserv ancy ▁and ▁its ▁successor ▁organis ations ▁the ▁National ▁R ivers ▁Author ity ▁and ▁Environment ▁Agency ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁prepared ▁to ▁give ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁one - year ▁le ase ▁to ▁the ▁pl oth old ers . ▁However , ▁the ▁community ▁has ▁remained ▁remark ably ▁static ▁with ▁plots ▁passing ▁down ▁the ▁family ▁line