Benn's Island, previously named Church Eyot, Kember’s Eyot and sometimes referred to as Benn's Ait, is a private and very small ait

Ait

An ait is a small island. It is especially used to refer to islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England....

 (island) close to the Middlesex bank of the River Thames

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,...

 at Hampton

Hampton, London

Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...

, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, on the reach above Molesey Lock

Molesey Lock

Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and is the second longest on the river at over 268 ft . Beside the lock there are rollers for the...

. The water between the island and the Middlesex bank is shallow, but navigable with care.

Since 1945 it has been leased by Hampton Sailing Club. The extensive building works and piling make a casual observer believe that the island is wholly artificial, but these are substantial extensions.

It had been used previously by another sailing club, the then Thames Valley Sailing Club, whose headquarters were a houseboat moored there and which was destroyed by fire in 1900.

The island is linked to the Middlesex bank by a manually operated pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

 chain ferry

Cable ferry

A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....

at the downstream end.