Grand Junction Isle facts for kids
Grand Junction Isle is a small island located in the famous River Thames in England. You can find it near Sunbury-on-Thames, a town in Surrey. This island is just a short distance downstream from a larger island called Sunbury Court Island.
What is Grand Junction Isle Like?
Grand Junction Isle isn't perfectly round; it's shaped more like a lozenge (a diamond shape) than an ellipse (an oval). At its longest point, the island is about 35 meters (115 feet) long, and it's about 15 meters (49 feet) wide. The island is covered with trees and sits low in the water. There are six small weekend chalets on the island, which are like tiny holiday homes. These chalets also have places for boats to dock. A small footbridge connects the island to the northern bank of the river, near the homes in Sunbury.
The Story Behind the Island's Name
The island gets its name from a company called the Grand Junction Waterworks Company. This company was one of several that operated water treatment plants in the area. Their 'Hampton Water Works' were built across the border between Hampton and Sunbury. The company built a special water intake on Grand Junction Isle. This intake helped bring water from the river to their reservoirs and treatment plants. Today, these plants are owned and run by Thames Water, which cleans the water using advanced methods. Before it was called Grand Junction Isle, the island was known as "Purvis Ait." Currently, the Environment Agency owns the island.
