Islands in the River Thames facts for kids

The River Thames in England is home to many islands! This article will tell you all about these islands, including some that are no longer there. An island is a piece of land completely surrounded by water. On the Thames, many islands have special names like "ait" or "eyot," which are old English words for small islands.

Most of these islands were formed naturally. They grew from things like gravel, mud, and even bird droppings, with plants like willow trees helping to hold them together. Other islands were made by people who dug new channels in the river to make it easier for boats to travel. Today, all the islands on the Thames are fixed in place. People have worked hard to protect them from the river's flow, using things like concrete, wood, and even special plants called water reeds.

Islands That Are No Longer There

Some parts of the land that used to be islands on the River Thames are now connected to the mainland. This happened over time as the river changed or as people built things. Here are a few examples of places that were once islands:

• Frog Island near Rainham
• Isle of Dogs in Poplar, London
• Isle of Grain in Kent
• Thorney Island was a large area around Westminster Abbey.
• Bermondsey was formed by a small river called the River Neckinger. Today, a small part of that old channel is St Saviour's Dock.
• Isle of Thanet in Kent, which is closer to the English Channel and North Sea.

Islands You Can See Today

The islands below are listed starting from the sea and moving upstream towards the source of the Thames. Some of these islands are very large, while others are quite small. The table shows their names and sizes.

How the River Thames Creates Islands in Oxford

In the Oxford area, the River Thames splits into many smaller streams. These streams flow across the flat land, called a floodplain, and create lots of islands. For example, a big island is formed by the Seacourt Stream, Botley Stream, and Bulstake Stream. There are also smaller islands, like Osney, which is now mostly built up with buildings.

The Oxford suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey are on an island made by the Bulstake Stream, Hinksey Stream, and Weirs Mill Stream. Another area, Iffley Meadows, is an island west of Iffley Lock, located between Weirs Mill Stream, Hinksey Stream, and the Thames.

On the other side of the river, Fiddler's Island and the historic Osney island are found between Castle Mill Stream and the Thames. Cripley Meadow is also an island, created by Fiddler's Island Stream, Castle Mill Stream, and Sheepwash Channel.

Eton and Dorney: A Man-Made Island?

The areas of Eton, Berkshire and Dorney are interesting because they might be considered a man-made island. These areas are made up of small villages that existed before the 1900s. In the 19th century, much of this land was prone to flooding. This led to people wanting better flood protection.

Since 2002, Eton and Dorney have been on a more protected, man-made island. This island was created by the Jubilee River. The Jubilee River is a special channel built to help control floods. It always has water flowing through it. Because of this, some people now consider Eton and Dorney to be on an island of the Thames.

Islands at Locks

Many locks on the Thames have their own artificial islands. A lock is like a water elevator that helps boats move between different water levels. These islands were often created when the lock was built, separating it from the weir (a small dam that controls water flow).

Sometimes, an island was built in the river, or a new canal was dug for the lock, turning the land in between into an island. Many of these lock islands have a lock keeper's house on them and can be reached by crossing the lock gates. Only lock islands with their own special names are listed in the table above. You can find all the Thames locks listed in Locks and weirs on the River Thames.

Images for kids

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  Sheppey - Minster from Elmley Marshes

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  Oliver's Island looking downstream

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  Glover's Island from Richmond Hill

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  Raven’s Ait from Queen's Promenade

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  Platts Eyot - Port Hampton

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  Ham Island - The Cut

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  Bavin's Gulls and Cliveden

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  Temple Island, Henley