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 islands although their names remain. 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 upstream from the sea.
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
Benn's Island, Hampton
Platts Eyot, Hampton
Grand Junction Isle, Sunbury
Sunbury Court Island, Sunbury
Rivermead Island, Sunbury
Sunbury Lock Ait, Walton on Thames
Wheatley's Ait, Lower Sunbury (also known as Wheatleys Eyot)
Desborough Island, Shepperton
D'Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge
Lock Island, Shepperton
Hamhaugh Island, Shepperton
Pharaoh's Island, Shepperton
Penton Hook Island, Laleham
Truss's Island, Thorpe
Church Island, Staines-upon-Thames
Hollyhock Island, Staines-upon-Thames
Holm Island, Staines-upon-Thames
The Island, Hythe End
Magna Carta Island, Runnymede
Pats Croft Eyot, Runnymede
Friary Island, Wraysbury
Friday Island, Old Windsor
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, Bray
Headpile Eyot, Bray
Guards Club Island, Maidenhead (also known as Bucks Ait)
Bridge Eyot, Maidenhead
Grass Eyot, Maidenhead
Ray Mill Island, Maidenhead
Boulter's Island, Maidenhead
Glen Island, Maidenhead
Bavin's Gulls, Maidenhead (also known as Sloe Grove Islands)
Formosa Island, Cookham
Gibraltar Islands, Marlow
Temple Mill Island, Hurley
Frog Mill Ait, Hurley
Black Boy Island, Hurley
Magpie Island, Medmenham
Temple Island, Henley-on-Thames
Rod Eyot, Henley-on-Thames
Ferry Eyot, Wargrave
Poplar Eyot, Wargrave
Handbuck Eyot, Wargrave
Unnamed Eyot, Wargrave
Phillimore Island, Shiplake
The Lynch, Lower Shiplake
Hallsmead Ait, Lower Shiplake
Buck Ait, Sonning
Sonning Eye, Sonning
Sonning Hill island, Sonning
Heron Island, Reading
View Island, Reading
De Bohun Island, Reading
Fry's Island, Reading (also 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
In the Oxford area the river splits into several streams across the floodplain, which create numerous islands. On the right bank a large island is created by Seacourt Stream, Botley Stream and Bulstake Stream, and there are smaller islands, including the island now known as Osney, created by streams between Bulstake Stream and the Thames, including Osney Ditch. The Oxford suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey are on an island created by Bulstake Stream, Hinksey Stream and Weirs Mill Stream. Iffley Meadows is an island west of Iffley Lock, between Weirs Mill Stream, Hinksey Stream and the Thames.
On the left bank Fiddler's Island and the island historically known as Osney lie between Castle Mill Stream and the Thames. Cripley Meadow is also on an island formed by Fiddler's Island Stream, Castle Mill Stream and Sheepwash Channel.
Lock islands
The construction of almost all locks on the Thames involved one or more artificial lock islands separating the lock from the weirs. 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: all Thames locks are listed in Locks on the River Thames.
