Wheatley's Ait facts for kids
Wheatley's Ait (also called Wheatley Eyot) is a large island in the River Thames in England. It covers about 8 hectares (which is like 20 football fields!). This island is located near the town of Sunbury-on-Thames in Surrey. Even though it's close to Sunbury, it's actually part of the Borough of Elmbridge.
Contents
What is Wheatley's Ait Like?
Wheatley's Ait is a long island with different parts. The downstream (lower) part of the island has some homes and places where boats are kept. There are also facilities for the Environment Agency here, which helps manage the river. You can reach most of this part by a road and a footbridge from the northern river bank.
Connecting to Other Islands
The very tip of the southern part of Wheatley's Ait can be reached by another footbridge. This bridge connects to the upstream (higher) part of the island. From the northern part of Wheatley's Ait, there's a private footbridge that goes to Sunbury Lock Ait. This bridge crosses a weir (a small dam) called Sunbury Weir, but it's not open to the public.
Homes and Activities on the Island
The upstream part of Wheatley's Ait is mostly made up of houses and small holiday homes. These are built on plots of land right by the river. People get to these homes using a footbridge from a road called The Creek on the northern bank. There's also a special weir called Tumbling Bay on the south side of Wheatley's Ait. This weir marks the start of a shallow area of the river. This shallow creek is a great spot for kayaking and fishing!
Island's Location
Wheatley's Ait is not far from the main church in Sunbury-on-Thames. It's about 450 meters to 1.3 kilometers away.
Who Lived on Wheatley's Ait?
Long ago, in the 1800s, this island was sometimes called Scotland Eyot. A man named Thomas Vincent owned the land back then. He also owned a farm nearby called Watersplash Farm. He later sold the land.
People on the Island
In 2001, a survey was done to count the people living on the island. There were 31 homes on Wheatley's Ait that were lived in. There were also 12 holiday homes that were not occupied at the time.
- About 17% of the people living there were over 65 years old.
- Half of the households had one car or van.
- Most people (about 92%) said they were "white British."
- Many adults (136 out of 172 workers) worked full-time.
- A small number of people (three) worked in farming or related jobs.
Island Postcodes
If you wanted to send a letter to Wheatley's Ait, you would use one of these postcodes:
- TW16 6BU
- TW16 6DA
