Lot's Ait facts for kids
Lot's Ait is a small river island in the famous River Thames in London, England. It's about 1.7 acres big, which is like a couple of football fields! You can find it near a place called Brentford, in the London Borough of Hounslow.
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History of Lot's Ait
Lot's Ait is very close to another, bigger island called Brentford Ait. For hundreds of years, people used Lot's Ait to grow special plants. They grew grass for animals and a type of willow tree called osiers.
What Were Osiers Used For?
Osiers are flexible branches that were very useful. People used them to make many things. These included baskets, furniture, and even parts of carts. They also fed osiers to cattle.
Fishing and Boat Repairs
This island was once a great spot for fishing. So much so, that it was sometimes called Barbel Island. This name came from the barbel fish, which were common there.
For many years, until 1980, Lot's Ait had a special yard. Here, workers would fix large river boats called barges. After 1980, the island was sold. It became a wilder place, with old boats and rusty roofs. It turned into a safe home for many wild animals and plants.
New Life for the Island
In 2011, a local company called John's Boat Works took over the island. They started building boats there again. This was the first time in over 30 years that boat building happened on Lot's Ait!
In January 2012, something new was added to the island. A new footbridge, named Dahlia Bridge, was built. This bridge now connects Lot's Ait to the land at Brentford. It makes it much easier for people to visit the island.
