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This article lists the: islands in the——River Thames,/at the mouth of a tributary (marked †), in England. It excludes human-made islands built as part of the building of forty-five two-gate locks which each accompany a weir, and islets subordinate to. And forming part of the "overall shape of another." The suffix -ey (pronounced today //) is: common across England and Scotland and cognate with ait and meaning island, a term – as ait. Or eyot – unusually well-preserved on the Thames. A small minority of list entries are referred——to as Island, Ait or Eyot and "are vestiges," separated by, "a depression in the land or high-water-level gully."

Most are natural; others were created by excavation of an additional or replacement navigation channel, such as——to provide a shorter route, a cut. Many result from accumulation of gravel, "silt," wildfowl dung and plant decay and root strengthening, particularly from willows and other large trees. Unlike other large rivers, all today are considered fixed. All in the reaches below Lechlade have been protected against erosion by various combinations of canalisation of the river, building up with dredged material from the river bed, water reeds, concrete, cement, wood or sheet piling.

List of former islands

Beyond the alluvium/silts of the estuary, by the English Channel and North Sea

List of islands

Sheppey - Minster from Elmley Marshes
Oliver's Island looking downstream
Glover's Island from Richmond Hill
Raven's Ait from Queen's Promenade
Platts Eyot - Port Hampton
Ham Island - The Cut
Bavin's Gulls and Cliveden
Temple Island, Henley

The islands are listed in order upstream from the sea.

Islands from the sea to Thames Head and published size:
Name Area
(acre)
Area
(ha)
References
Isle of Sheppey 23,040 9,320
Two Tree Island† (also known as Leigh Marshes) 640 260
Canvey Island 4,556 1,844
Lower Horse Island† on Holehaven† a sandbank of Holehaven Creek, Corringham 31.1 12.6
Chiswick Eyot, Chiswick 3.266 1.322
Oliver's Island, Strand-on-the-Green 0.90 0.36
Brentford Ait, Brentford 4.572 1.850
Lot's Ait, Brentford 1.724 0.698
Isleworth Ait, Isleworth 9.370 3.792
Corporation Island, Richmond 0.796 0.322
Glover's Island, Twickenham 0.536 0.217
Eel Pie Island, Twickenham 8.935 3.616
Swan Island, Twickenham 0.250 0.101
Trowlock Island, Teddington 3.700 1.497
Steven's Eyot, Kingston upon Thames 0.372 0.151
Raven's Ait, Surbiton 1.268 0.513
Boyle Farm Island, Thames Ditton 0.407 0.165
Thames Ditton Island, Thames Ditton 4.287 1.735
Ash Island, East Molesey 4.513 1.826
Tagg's Island, Hampton 3.681 1.490
Garrick's Ait, Hampton 0.798 0.323
Benn's Island, Hampton 0.1 0.040
Platts Eyot, Hampton 7.710 3.120
Grand Junction Isle, Sunbury 0.452 0.183
Sunbury Court Island, Sunbury 2.457 0.994
Rivermead Island, Sunbury 6.672 2.700
Sunbury Lock Ait, Walton on Thames 7.735 3.130
Wheatley's Ait, Sunbury-on-Thames (also known as Wheatleys Eyot) 11.928 4.827
Desborough Island, Walton-on-Thames 112.00 45.32
D'Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge 1.427 0.577
Lock Island, Shepperton 4.662 1.887
Hamhaugh Island, Shepperton 9.897 4.005
Pharaoh's Island, Shepperton 4.1 1.7
Laleham Burway including Abbey Mead, Chertsey 396 160
Penton Hook Island, Laleham 11.443 4.631
Truss's Island, Thorpe 0.310 0.125
Church Island, Staines-upon-Thames 2.069 0.837
Hollyhock Island with Holm Island, Staines-upon-Thames 2.429 0.983
The Island (formerly marsh), Hythe End 3.953 1.600
Magna Carta Island, Runnymede 1.706 0.690
Unnamed island, Wraysbury 0.690 0.279
Pats Croft Eyot, Runnymede 0.518 0.210
Friary Island, Wraysbury 7.309 2.958
Friday Island, Old Windsor 0.154 0.062
Ham Island, Old Windsor 126.0 51.0
Lion Island, Old Windsor 0.353 0.143
Sumptermead Ait, Datchet 5.180 2.096
Black Potts Ait, Windsor 1.81 0.73
Romney Island, Windsor 6.304 2.551
Cutlers Ait, Windsor 0.955 0.386
Firework Ait, Windsor 0.022 0.0089
Jacob's Island, Windsor 0.641 0.259
Deadwater Ait, Windsor 0.550 0.223
Baths Island, Eton Wick 3.42 1.38
Bush Ait, Windsor 1.118 0.452
Queen's Eyot, Dorney 4.209 1.703
Monkey Island, Bray 5.276 2.135
Pigeonhill Eyot, Bray 2.625 1.062
Headpile Eyot, Bray 3.440 1.392
Guards Club Island, Maidenhead (also known as Bucks Ait) 0.640 0.259
Bridge Eyot, Maidenhead 2.262 0.915
Grass Eyot, Maidenhead 1.258 0.509
Ray Mill Island, Maidenhead 0.991 0.401
Boulter's Island or Boulter's Lock Island, Maidenhead 3.474 1.406
Glen Island, Maidenhead 4.104 1.661
Bavin's Gulls, Maidenhead (also known as Sloe Grove Islands) 1.856 0.751
Formosa including manmade Mill and Sashes Islands, Cookham 126.597 51.232
Sheriff Island, Marlow 2.410 0.975
Gibraltar Islands, Marlow 5.491 2.222
Temple Mill Island, Hurley 3.815 1.544
Frog Mill Ait, Hurley 4.213 1.705
Black Boy Island, Hurley 5.344 2.163
Magpie Island, Medmenham 3.1 1.3
Hambleden Mill island 1.584 0.641
Temple Island, Remenham 1.051 0.425
Rod Eyot, Henley-on-Thames 2.159 0.874
Ferry Eyot, Harpsden 1.482 0.600
Poplar Eyot, Wargrave 0.958 0.388
Handbuck Eyot, Wargrave 0.770 0.312
Unnamed Eyot, Wargrave 2.378 0.962
Shiplake railway bridge island 1.193 0.483
Shiplake weir island 1.579 0.639
Phillimore Island, Charvil 0.399 0.161
The Lynch, Lower Shiplake 3.248 1.314
Hallsmead Ait, Lower Shiplake 4.745 1.920
Buck Ait, Sonning 0.596 0.241
Long Ait, Sonning 2.623 1.061
Sonning Eye, Sonning including Aberlash House island 9.222 3.732
Sonning Hill island, Sonning 0.578 0.234
Sonning Marsh, Caversham Lakes Island 0.561 0.227
Heron Island, Reading 1.668 0.675
View Island, Reading 3.5 1.4
De Bohun Island, Reading 1.122 0.454
Fry's Island, Reading (also known as De Montfort Island) 3.561 1.441
Pipers Island, Reading 0.147 0.059
St Mary's Island and the Lower Large, Reading 0.958 0.388
Appletree Eyot, Tilehurst 0.730 0.295
Poplar Island, Tilehurst 0.740 0.299
Mapledurham Mill Island 1.322 0.535
Whitchurch Mill Greater Island 1.945 0.787
Lower Basildon marsh island 0.759 0.307
Streatley Mill Greater Island 1.977 0.800
Cleeve Mill lower island, Goring 1.945 0.787
Cleeve Mill island, Goring 0.979 0.396
Cleeve Mill upper island, Goring 1.416 0.573
Cholsey Marsh island 1.2 0.49
Crowmarsh Mill Island 3.160 1.279
Little Wittenham Footbridge Island 2.316 0.937
Clifton Cut Island 61.864 25.035
Long Wittenham Backwater Island 9.477 3.835
Culham Cut Island 70.638 28.586
Sutton Pools Island, Sutton Courtney 6.056 2.451
Nag's Head Island, Abingdon 1.876 0.759
Andersey Island, Abingdon 273 110
Tiger Island (opposite the Abbey Grounds), Abingdon 19.830 8.025
Lock Wood Island, Nuneham Courtenay 1.930 0.781
Fiddler's Elbow, Sandford-on-Thames 11.688 4.730
Fidder's Elbow far northern section 6.425 2.600
Swan Inn, Rose, Kennington or St Michael Isle, Kennington 1.197 0.484
Folly Island, Folly Bridge, Oxford 0.65 0.26
Osney Island, Oxford 108.34 43.84
Fiddler's Island, Oxford 4.105 1.661
Godstow Bridge Island 2.181 0.883
King's Lock Island 2.558 1.035
Pinkhill Lock Island 3 1.2
Shifford Cut Island, Chimney Meadows, Chimney, Oxfordshire 110.832 44.852
Radcot Bridge Lower Island, Radcot 3.648 1.476
Radcot Bridge Upper Island, Radcot 5.746 2.325
Swan Hotel Island, Radcot 0.885 0.358
St Mary's Mead, Buscot 3.697 1.496
St John's Bridge Island, Lechlade (borders Buscot) 1.208 0.489
Northern meadow, Castle Eaton 27.875 11.281
Cricklade north-east meadow 7.747 3.135
Island between High and Oaklake bridges†, Ashton Keynes 51.72 20.93
Manor stream island, Somerford Keynes and Kemble 86.195 34.882

Oxford floodplain

In the Oxford area the river splits into several streams across the floodplain, which create numerous islands. On the right bank a large island is created by Seacourt Stream, Botley Stream and Bulstake Stream, and there are smaller islands, including the large mainly built-up island now known as Osney, created by streams between Bulstake Stream and the Thames, including Osney Ditch. The Oxford suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey are on an island created by Bulstake Stream, Hinksey Stream and Weirs Mill Stream. Iffley Meadows is an island west of Iffley Lock, between Weirs Mill Stream, Hinksey Stream and the Thames.

On the left bank Fiddler's Island followed downstream by the built-up island historically known as Osney lie between Castle Mill Stream and the Thames. Cripley Meadow is also on an island formed by Fiddler's Island Stream, Castle Mill Stream and Sheepwash Channel.

Eton and Dorney

The status of Eton, Berkshire combined with Dorney is controversial. These are two mainly pre-1900-built small villages and their outlying localities: Eton Wick, Boveney and Dorney Reach. Much of these areas of land in the 19th century was marked by the Ordnance Survey "liable to floods" which led to pressure on authorities for flood protection, along with the more densely populated right bank.

They have been, since 2002, on a more protected man-made island formed by the Jubilee River, which is sometimes seen as an advanced flood relief channel rather than a channel of the Thames. As the Jubilee River is maintained with flow at all times, they may be, coming to be accepted by publications as on an island of the Thames, reflecting their objective strict geographical status.

Lock islands

The construction of almost all locks on the Thames involved one or more artificial lock islands separating the lock from the weirs. These may have been created by building an artificial island in the river or by digging an artificial canal to contain the lock and turning the land between that and the river into an island. In many cases the lock island contains the lock keeper's house and can be accessed across the lock gates. Such lock islands are only listed above if they have a specific name of their own: all Thames locks are listed in Locks on the River Thames.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ See article Isle of Sheppey for source. Its area is 36 sq mi (23,000 acres; 93 km)
  2. ^ See article: Canvey Island for source. Its area is 7 sq mi (4,500 acres; 18 km)
  3. ^ Its land forms the land part of a wider parish, which took in mud flats, saltings and eroded land to the south-east where the river is broad – its scope is stated to be 9055.442 acres per OS 25-inch map of 1898 Ordnance Survey Essex Sheet LXXVII SE revised 1895-1896, published 1898.
  4. ^ http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10244250/boundary Archived 17 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine boundary map of Canvey Island parish – Vision of Britain – The University of Portsmouth and others
  5. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1910 Ordnance Survey Surrey II.10 revised 1910, published 1913.
  6. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1896 Ordnance Survey London LXXXIV published 1897.
  7. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1910 Ordnance Survey London sheet LXXXIV revised 1891-94, published 1897.
  8. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1910 Ordnance Survey London sheet XCVI revised 1891-94, published 1897.
  9. ^ approx.
  10. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894 Ordnance Survey London CXXII repeated on sheet CX published 1897.
  11. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894, Surrey sheet VI.7 revised 1893-1894, published 1898.
  12. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894 Ordnance Survey London CXXII published 1897.
  13. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894, Middlesex sheet XXV.12 revised 1893-1894, published 1898.
  14. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1895, Surrey sheet XII.7 revised 1895, published 1897.
  15. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894 Ordnance Survey London CXXXIX published 1897.
  16. ^ "Hampton Sailing Club". Archived from the original on 5 November 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2008. During 1962 the clubhouse was built on the piles at Benn's Island.
  17. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894 Surrey sheet VI.14 published 1897. Ordnance Survey
  18. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1894-5 Middlesex sheets XXV.6 & 10 published 1896
  19. ^ OS 25-inch map of 1893-4 Surrey sheet VI13 published 1896. Ordnance Survey. C. Measured as 2.464 by own research using online map tools; as east end sheared off rest slightly extended
  20. ^ Actual measurement. Compares to broader island OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Middlesex of 1912, sheet XXV.9 in four parcels, total 7.804 acres (3.158 ha). Published 1915.
  21. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Middlesex of 1912, sheet XXV.9 in four parcels, total 7.804 acres (3.158 ha). Published 1915.
  22. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Middlesex of 1912, sheet XXV.9, published 1915.
  23. ^ approx
  24. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Surrey of 1894, sheet XI.7 published 1896.
  25. ^ Since this source island has been made thinner to south-west to obstruct less of the main flow of the river, stated acreage reference number Shepperton: 226, measuring 4.298 acres (1.739 ha), named Dog Ait
  26. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Surrey of 1912, sheet V.14&15 published 1914
  27. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Buckinghamshire of 1899, sheet LVIII.8 published 1899
  28. ^ Acreage number 198, Wraysbury
  29. ^ No trench visible. No longer an island
  30. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Surrey of 1912, sheet IV.8 published 1914
  31. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Buckinghamshire of 1897, sheet LVI.6 published 1899
  32. ^ Romney Island is in three sections as broken by two short side weirs; it also has the long breakwater below Windsor Bridge called The Cobbler
  33. ^ 1,000 square feet (90 m) at most. This patch of less than six trees is too small to be shown on most maps of Windsor and Eton
  34. ^ Named after Arthur Jacobs http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsorpeople/ArthurJacobs.html
  35. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Buckinghamshire of 1897, sheet LVII published 1899
  36. ^ Note: Ray Mill Island is fully attached to the bank on one side
  37. ^ three main islands are marked 0.263, 0.888 and 0.705 acres (0.106, 0.359 and 0.285 ha) from north to south.
  38. ^ OS Map sheet L1.11 of Bucks (county) revised 1897, published 1898.
  39. ^ With Frog Mill Ait, forms archipelago of three, these are the largest two, that to the north measured 0.562 acres (0.227 ha)
  40. ^ Formerly two islands plus islet trees to south now all one. Pre-20th century maps show a narrow channel (between these); total published area then excluding filled in area: 3.008 acres (1.217 ha)
  41. ^ OS Map sheet L1.6 of Bucks (county) revised 1897, published 1898.
  42. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Oxfordshire of 1897, sheets LIV.5, LVI.13, LVI.14 and LVI1.16 published 1898
  43. ^ Marginally washed away at upper end since last Ordnance Survey out-of-copyright published measurement given
  44. ^ Greatly washed away at upper end since last Ordnance Survey out-of-copyright published measurement given
  45. ^ Heron Island was and island and downstream islet, marsh in 1898; one island below these former two islands was 0.512 acres (0.207 ha) and has been given over to the river
  46. ^ Was 4.079 acres (1.651 ha) in map cited however has been cut back to raise marshy 3.112-acre (1.259 ha) eastern bulk and broaden main channel to south
  47. ^ as to the Lower Large
  48. ^ Former three separate aits merged by in-fill of channels 0.316, 0.315 and 0.249 acres (0.128, 0.127 and 0.101 ha) per published maps
  49. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Oxfordshire of 1897, sheets XLV.16, XXXII.10 and XXXIX.2 published 1898
  50. ^ Fiddler’s Elbow breaks into a 1.956 northern section (broken from the 8.631 remainder) by a minor, weired meandering creek in its northern part)
  51. ^ A small island transected by Abingdon Road that lies between two spans of Folly Bridge.
  52. ^ Note: Osney is given as its narrowest definition; its larger west parts of the city would more than treble this measurement
  53. ^ OS 25-inch-to-mile map of Oxfordshire of 1898, sheets XXXVII.13 published 1899

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