Andersey Island
Encyclopedia
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England near Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
on the reach above Culham Lock
Culham Lock
Culham Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England close to Culham, Oxfordshire. It is on a lock cut to the north of the main stream, which approaches the large village of Sutton Courtenay...
.
The island is created by a division in the stream of the river between the main navigation channel and the Swift Ditch
Swift Ditch
The Swift Ditch is a backwater of the River Thames in England, which was formerly the primary navigation channel. With the main river, it creates the large island of Andersey Island near Abingdon, Oxfordshire....
backwater. The Swift Ditch used to be the main course of the Thames until navigation was diverted to Abingdon. Comprising some 273 acres (1.1 km²), the island is one of the largest islands on the Thames.
The island of Andersey was the site of a royal residence as early as Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, and was taken over by William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The site was handed over to the Abbot of Abingdon in about 1100 and the buildings fell to ruin. Most of the island is open land with poplars and willows, but it also contains a football club, a cricket club, a leisure facility, barns and cottages.