Desborough 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,...
on the reach above Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey. The lock adjoins the southern bank about half a mile downstream of the Weir Hotel....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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...
. The island was formed in 1930s by the digging of a channel - the Desborough Cut
Desborough Cut
The Desborough Cut is an artificial channel in the River Thames above Sunbury Lock near Walton on Thames in England. It which was completed in 1935 to improve flow and ease navigation on the river....
- by the Thames Conservancy
Thames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...
. Both island and cut are named after Lord Desborough
William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
who was at that time chairman of Thames Conservancy.
The 3/4 mile (1 km) cut took the river on a straight course between Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
and Walton on Thames creating the island between it and the meandering stretch past Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
and Lower Halliford
Lower Halliford
Lower Halliford is a hamlet in the parish of Shepperton in Surrey, formerly Middlesex on the banks of the River Thames. It lies on the road from Kingston upon Thames to Chertsey on a loop of the Thames across the river from Walton on Thames....
which remains as a navigable route. The cut alleviated flooding in Shepperton and halved the distance of travel on that part of the river.
The island is almost uninhabited, being mainly open space, playing fields and water treatment facilities. The island has access over two bridges from Walton Lane in Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
. It covers 45 hectares (111 acre) of which 14 hectares (35 acre) is open space. It is a site of nature conservation importance and is looked after by Elmbridge
Elmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
’s commons management team. The island contains the Walton Water Treatment Works, owned by the North Surrey Water company
Three Valleys Water
Veolia Water Central is a privately owned company supplying water to Hertfordshire and parts of Surrey, North London and Bedfordshire, in England....
. There are sporting facilities owned by University Vandals Rugby Club
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and Weybridge Rifle and Pistol Club, and other parts of the island are owned by the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
, Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
and Elmbridge
Elmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
Borough council. Pleasure boats operate from Walton, making a round trip round the island.
Efforts have been made to improve the environment of the island. Furthermore hedges have been relaid to improve the habitat.