1. Position and race distance marker

2. History

3. Local nature reserve

4. See also

5. Notes and Citations

6. References

7. External links

Chiswick Eyot {{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|ɪ|z|ᵻ|k|_|ˈ|eɪ|t}} is a {{convert|3.266|acre|1|adj=on}} narrow, uninhabited ait (river island) in the River Thames. It is a tree- and reed-covered rise on the Tideway by Chiswick, in the Borough of Hounslow, London, England and is overlooked by St Nicholas Church, Chiswick, the Mall (promenade street) of Hammersmith and by some of the Barnes riverside on the far bank. Excluding tidal mudflats and sandbanks, it is the most downstream island purely on the Thames itself (as the Isle of Sheppey, Canvey Island and two nearby islets in the estuary are co-fed by creeks and in the case of Sheppey by complex mouths of the Medway).

Position and race distance marker

It is beside The Championship Course and marks the approximate half-way point of The Boat Races (OUBC versus CUBC Men's and Women's first eights (1st 8+s) races) and the country's international Head of the River Race among others. A green pole stands on one end used for timings by rowers of that course, at the southwest, church end of the island.^[1] Small craft can pass between it and (the){{refn|group=n|Use of "the" in "the Chiswick Mall" is becoming obsolete even among the most-settled upper middle class and British aristocracy in West London; {{abbreviation|c.f.|c.f Latin: confer ("consider/compare")}} the/The Kings Road (in general usage) and "The Victoria Embankment", as in Embankment Underground station invariably omitting one or two of these words that precede "Embankment"}} Chiswick Mall{{#tag:ref|Mall in the meaning given in London refers to a scenic street; Chiswick, Upper and Lower Malls are three riverside roads lined with houses, pubs and a few river-related organisations.|group= n}} on the Middlesex (left, generally north) bank for about two hours at high tide, but the small channel is generally impassable otherwise — at low tide it is possible to walk to it as it is a tidal island.^[2]

History

Chiswick Eyot is one of 43 unbridged tidal islands which can be walked to from the mainland of Great Britain,^[3] dating back to the British Iron Age such tidal islands are occasionally associated with being sanctuaries and meeting places;^[3] some are named Holy Islands. The {{convert|3.266|acre|1|adj=on}}^[4] eyot was long-owned by the rectory of Chiswick and its natural successors the Ecclesiastical Commissioners until 1934 when ownership passed to the local council.^[5] Little is known of its archaeology. St. Nicholas Church, Chiswick is 200m west of the island, whose tower was built in the 15th century.^[6] Thus an early medieval parish church is beside it as with Isleworth Ait, Eel Pie Island (Twickenham Ait) and others upstream.

The eyot was used during the industrial revolution mostly for the growing of grass and osiers (basket willows, used for basketry, furniture, cart-making, as well as cattle fodder). Its south-west end, opposite end and east has become indented. The island is submerged (excluding trees) at high tide.

Local nature reserve

The London Borough of Hounslow declared the island a local nature reserve of Greater London in 1993.^[7][8]

See also

• Islands in the River Thames

Notes and Citations

Notes

Citations

References

• {{cite book |title= The naturalist on the Thames|last= Cornish|first= C. J.|authorlink= Charles John Cornish|year= 1902|publisher= Seeley|location= London|oclc= 3251979|page= 68|url= http://explorion.net/c.j.cornish-naturalist-thames/page-68.html}}

External links

• Chiswick's tides on the Thames

• Edward Henry Horsey
• Edward Henry Hulse
• Edward Henry John Crauford
• Edward Henry Kerr
• Edward Henry Lewinski Corwin
• Edward Henry Lewinsky Corwin
• Edward henry purcell
• Edward Henry Purcell
• Edward Henry Rich, 7th Earl of Warwick
• Edward Henry Smith
• Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, KG, PC
• Edward Henry St John
• Edward Henry St. John
• Edward Henry Strobel
• Edward Henry Whinfield
• Edward Henry Winter
• Edward Herbert, 1st Lord Herbert of Cherbury
• Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis
• Edward Herbert Bunbury
• Edward Herbert (disambiguation)
• Edward Herbert (MP)
• Edward Herbert of Cherbury
• Edward Herbert, second earl of Powis
• Edward Herman (disambiguation)
• Edward Hermon