Islands in the River Thames

This article lists the islands in the River Thames, in England. It excludes many of the smaller lock islands that were created when weirs and locks were built, and also some very small islands that immediately adjoin the larger ones. The Isle of Dogs and Isle of Grain are no longer actual islands although the name remains. Westminster used to be on an island called Thorney Island. Some other so-called islands are also now just promontories, often marked by a small ditch.

Most of the islands are natural, but a few were created by rerouting of the navigation channel. Many Thames islands are called "Aits" or "Eyots". Aits are usually longer thinner islands that have built up through an accumulation of silt.

List of islands

The islands are listed in order encountered starting at the sea and proceeding upstream.

*Isle of Sheppey
*Two Tree Island
*Canvey Island
*Lower Horse Island
*Frog Island, Rainham
*Chiswick Eyot, Chiswick
*Oliver's Island, Kew
*Brentford Ait, Brentford
*Lot's Ait, Brentford
*Isleworth Ait, Isleworth
*Corporation Island, Richmond
*Glover's Island, Twickenham
*Eel Pie Island, Twickenham
*Swan Island, Twickenham
*Trowlock Island, Teddington
*Steven's Eyot, Kingston upon Thames
*Raven's Ait, Kingston upon Thames/Surbiton
*Boyle Farm Island, Thames Ditton
*Thames Ditton Island, Thames Ditton
*Ash Island, East Molesey
*Tagg's Island, Hampton Court
*Garrick's Ait, Hampton
*Platts Eyot, Hampton
*Grand Junction Isle, Sunbury
*Sunbury Court Island, Sunbury
*Rivermead Island, Sunbury
*Sunbury Lock Ait, Walton on Thames
*Wheatley's Ait (Wheatleys Eyot), Lower Sunbury
*Desborough Island, Shepperton
*D'Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge
*Lock Island, Shepperton
*Hamhaugh Island, Shepperton
*Pharaoh's Island
*Penton Hook Island, Laleham
*Church Island, Staines
*Hollyhock Island, Staines
*Holm Island, Staines
*The Island, Hythe End
*Magna Carta Island, Runnymede
*Pats Croft Eyot, Runnymede
*Friary Island, Wraysbury
*Friday Island
*Ham Island, Old Windsor
*Lion Island, Old Windsor
*Sumptermead Ait, Datchet
*Romney Island, Windsor
*Black Potts Ait, Windsor
*Cutlers Ait, Windsor
*Firework Ait, Windsor
*Deadwater Ait, Windsor
*Baths Island, Eton Wick
*Bush Ait, Windsor
*Queen's Eyot, Dorney
*Monkey Island, Bray
*Pigeonhill Eyot
*Headpile Eyot, Bray
*Guards Club Island aka Bucks Ait, Maidenhead
*Bridge Eyot, Maidenhead
*Grass Eyot, Maidenhead
*Ray Mill Island, Maidenhead
*Boulter's Island, Maidenhead
*Glen Island, Maidenhead
*Bavin's Gulls aka Sloe Grove Islands, Maidenhead
*Formosa Island, Cookham
*Gibraltar Islands,Marlow
*Temple Mill Island, Hurley
*Frog Mill Ait
*Black Boy Island
*Magpie Island
*Temple Island, Henley-on-Thames
*Rod Eyot, Henley-on-Thames
*Ferry Eyot, Wargrave
*Poplar Eyot, Wargrave
*Handbuck Eyot, Wargrave
*Phillimore Island, Shiplake
*The Lynch, Lower Shiplake
*Hallsmead Ait
*Buck Ait
*Sonning Eye (=Eyot), Sonning
*View Island, Reading
*De Bohun Island, Reading
*Fry's Island, Reading (sometimes known as "De Montfort Island")
*Pipers Island, Reading
*St Mary's Island, Reading
*Appletree Eyot, Tilehurst
*Poplar Island, Tilehurst
*Nag's Head Island, Abingdon
*Andersey Island, Abingdon
*Lock Wood Island, Nuneham Courtenay
*Fiddler's Elbow, Sandford-on-Thames
*Rose Isle, Kennington
*Osney Island, Oxford
*Fiddler's Island, Oxford

Lock islands

It should be noted that the construction of almost all locks on the Thames involve one or more artificial lock islands separating the lock from the weirs. Depending on the circumstances of the lock, 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, but all Thames locks are listed in Locks on the River Thames.

ee also

*Crossings of the River Thames