Garrick's Ait (or Garrick's Eyot on Ordnance Survey maps), previously known as Shank's Eyot, is an ait in the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

in England on the reach above

Molesey Lock Molesey Lock is a lock (water transport), lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey on the bank (geography), right bank. The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and was rebuilt by the Thames Conservancy i ...

, the nearest land being Moulsey Hurst (park) on the

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

bank and the opposite bank being a much narrower riverside park of Hampton. It is the only island in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

named after an actor.

Geography

It is 330 m upstream from

Tagg's Island Tagg's Island is an ait (island) on the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock and just above Ash Island, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and part of Hampton. The island is roughly 400 metres long by 90 metres w ...

which is more than twice the width and length. On the island are 20 houses, it being historically divided into 26 plots, but two of these, including the eastern tip, have always been trees and mooring space, respectively. Two of the approximately equal-sized plots, with few exceptions, have been combined into one. It is inaccessible except by boat.

History

Garrick's Ait is named after

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

, the actor whose Temple to Shakespeare and

Villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

(house) are on the Hampton bank and as such is the only island in the country named after an actor. In common with most Thames islands near developed places, it became used for growing and harvesting

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

/ weeping willow trees when they arrived in the country in the 18th century. Wood from

pollarding Pollarding is a pruning system involving the removal of the upper branches of a tree, which promotes the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches. In ancient Rome, Propertius mentioned pollarding during the 1st century BCE. The practice h ...

could be used for cricket bats, paddles, ladders, gun stocks, crates and poles for fences. Harvested branches, called osiers, are strong, flexible and resistant to rot – they were used for fish traps, basket making and for reinforcing riverbanks.

Notes and references

;Notes ;References {{coord, 51, 24, 42, N, 0, 21, 37, W, scale:5000_region:GB-SRY_type:isle, display=title, name=Garrick's Ait Islands of the River Thames

Geography

History

See also

Notes and references