Isleworth Ait is a London Wildlife Trust nature reserve, and is a teardrop-shaped island in the River Thames in England, between 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) and 9.370-acre (3.792 ha).[1][2] The long ait is on the Tideway facing Old Isleworth and the towpath alongside the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. These places are in the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames. The island faces Heron's Place and a number of commercial buildings. It is not open to the public, other than on organised event or volunteering days.
Wildlife
editIsleworth Ait is covered by densely packed trees, and provides a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. It floods regularly, but is home to more than 57 species of bird life, including the tree-creeper, kingfisher and heron. Two rare species of air-breathing land gastropods also live on the island, the two-lipped door snail Balea biplicata and the German hairy snail Pseudotrichia rubiginosa, as well as several rare species of beetles. This variety of unusual wildlife makes the island one of the London Wildlife Trust's most remarkable reserves. It is a local nature reserve[3][4] and part of The River Thames and tidal tributaries Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.[5][6]
Trade
editIsleworth Ait was once a centre for the production of osier - a willow which used to be harvested on the island to weave baskets to carry fruit and vegetables grown in Middlesex to the markets in London. Much of the island has resulted from five pre-19th century neighbouring islands, overall covering a broader area and partially reduced by river erosion intensified by passing boat traffic.
Nearby tributaries
editThe River Crane flows into the Thames southwest of the island and its distributary to feed former mills and the lake in Syon Park, the Duke of Northumberland's River, to the northwest.
Ownership
editThames Water owns the island, which houses the outfall from the Mogden Sewage Treatment Works draining outer West London plus Wraysbury and Spelthorne – effluent of more than 2,000,000 residents in all.[7] Most of the outfall has always meant to have been treated. The local setup is the sewerage catchment mainly has separate surface water drainage (drains for rainwater to flow into rivers and soakaways) which thus keeps untreated storm discharges from sewerage works low by not sending storm water to them. Such a system is more "desirable" and "preferable" though costlier to build.[8] The older system alternative is that of combined sewers, having succeeded many former rivers in London. Excess discharges from all those older outfalls to the east are to be about 99% collected by a 2025 completion date tunnel. The Mogden works, which is a consolidation of many across its catchment, for a complete approach towards cleaning London's main watercourse, is being upgraded from the late 2010s to the early 2020s after billions of litres annually of untreated outfall from the island.[7][9][10]
The Metropolitan Water Board bought the ait from the Duke of Northumberland in the 1930s; visitor access is granted to local volunteers of the London Wildlife Trust.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Isleworth Ait". London Wildlife Trust. 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ^ OS 25-inch map of 1910 Ordnance Survey London sheet XCVI revised 1891-94, published 1897.
- ^ "Isleworth Ait". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "Map of Isleworth Ait". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "The River Thames and tidal tributaries". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "iGiGL – helping you find London's parks and wildlife sites (map)". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Water companies illegally dumping sewage in England and Wales' rivers". BBC News. 12 April 2021.
- ^ Reports of Joint Committee, L. W. Burt, City Surveyor, Hartford, Connecticut. Court of Common Council, 1893
- ^ "Raw sewage breaches in UK rivers 10 times greater than watchdog estimates". TheGuardian.com. 21 April 2021.
- ^ "The Times view on water companies and pollution: Rivers of Shame".