Chiswick Eyot


Chiswick Eyot is a narrow, uninhabited ait 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 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.

Position and race distance marker

It is beside The Championship Course and marks the approximate half-way point of The Boat 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. Small craft can pass between it and Chiswick on the Middlesex 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.

History

Chiswick Eyot is one of 43 unbridged tidal islands which can be walked to from the mainland of Great Britain, dating back to the British Iron Age such tidal islands are occasionally associated with being sanctuaries and meeting places; some are named Holy Islands. The 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. Little is known of its archaeology. St. Nicholas Church, Chiswick is 200m west of the island, whose tower was built in the 15th century. Thus an early medieval parish church is beside it as with Isleworth Ait, Eel Pie Island and others upstream.
The eyot was used during the industrial revolution mostly for the growing of grass and osiers. Its south-west end, opposite end and east has become indented. The island is submerged at high tide.

Local nature reserve

The London Borough of Hounslow declared the island a local nature reserve of Greater London in 1993.