Wheatley's Ait

Wheatley's Ait or Wheatley Eyot is an ait (island) in the River Thames of approximately 8 hectares (20 acres)[1] on the reach above Sunbury Lock, close to the northern side and in the post town Sunbury-on-Thames however in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England.[1]

Part of the southern end of Wheatley's Ait

North of the downstream end of Wheatley's Ait

Middle of the downstream end of Wheatley's Ait above Sunbury Weir

Detailed description

Its long downstream part, separated by a narrow additional storm weir from the long upstream part, contains a few residential properties, some midsection boatyards, dredging facilities and moorings for the Environment Agency and is for its bulk accessed by a road and footbridge to the northern bank;[2] its southern tip is accessed by footbridge from the southern, upstream part. This northern part links to Sunbury Lock Ait by a private footbridge across Sunbury Weir which is closed to the public. The upstream part consists only of houses and chalets in riverside plots of land and is accessed by footbridge from the residential road, The Creek, on the northern bank. A controlled third weir, Tumbling Bay, touching the south of Wheatley's Ait marks the start of a quite shallow creek used for kayaking and fishing.[3][4] Wheatley's Ait ranges from 450m to 1.3 km from the parish church of Sunbury-on-Thames.[2]

Scotland Eyot is a former name.[3] Thomas Vincent owned the land and Watersplash Farm in the 19th century prior to selling it,[5] a Shepperton landowner related to Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon.,[6] having acquired it from Thomas Carr.[7]

Demography

In the 2001 census it was included in an output area the mostpart of which was in Walton on Thames but which contained 146 properties of which 31 were on the island and a further 12 were unoccupied holiday chalets or houses on the island; 16.8% of the population (291) were aged over 65, eight households had no car or van, 50.0% had one car or van.[1] Only 14.5% of the 249 adults (of a population of 291) were "grade D or E" (semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, on state benefit, unemployed, lowest grade workers) as defined by the 2001 census. 91.8% of the population stated they were ethnically "white british".[1] 136 of the 172 workers worked full-time.[1] 10.8% of the population lived in an apartment with a lowest floor level above the ground floor and not on the island.[4] 13.0% of property was rented, three units (16% of this) as social housing.[1] Three people worked in agriculture, hunting or forestry, just over double the average for the borough.[1]

Postcodes

• TW16 6BU
• TW16 6DA[2]

See also

• Islands in the River Thames

References

1. 2001 Census Output Area E00154841
2. Grid reference Finder measurement tools
3. Thacker, Fred S (1968) [First published 1920]. The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs (New impression, 1st. ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-4233-6. OCLC 55209571.
4. Spelthorne Map showing extent of the adjoining borough and Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) status of most of the River Thames and The Creek identified by Surrey Wildlife Trust and Surrey County Council.
5. The Creek Sunbury-on-Thames and Its Immediate Environment Geo. W. F Claxton 1984 Sunbury & Shepperton Local History Society
6. Property Owners and Tenants of Sunbury in 1848 Sunbury & Shepperton Local History Society ISBN 9780905178134
7. Susan Reynolds (Editor) (1962). "Shepperton: The hundred of Spelthorne (continued)". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 14 November 2012.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)