Sunbury Lock Ait
Encyclopedia
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) in 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,...
in England adjacent to 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....
, near 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...
, 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...
. It is unpopulated, but accessible by a footbridge over the lock cut from the southern bank as well as by a connection to the lock. There is a footbridge across the weir to Wheatley's Ait
Wheatley's Ait
Wheatley's Ait or Wheatley Eyot is an ait in the River Thames on the reach above Sunbury Lock, on the northern side close to Sunbury on Thames, Surrey, England. The island is in two parts. The downstream part contains workings and moorings for the Environment Agency and is accessed by a road...
just upstream, but this is closed to the public. The island is inaccessible from Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
except by boat.
The lock island was not created as a result of building the lock cut, but was already in existence. It was known as "Sunbury Church Ait" when the City of London Corporation purchased it from about six proprietors to build the lock. The footbridge and lockhouse are located where the lock originally sat, some distance upstream of the present locks.