Guards Club Island

Guards Club Island, also known as Bucks Ait or bucks' eyot is an island in the River Thames connected by footbridge by to Maidenhead, Berkshire accommodating a pier adjoining the Sounding Arch part of the railway bridge which was built in 1838 to designs by Brunel. The thin small island is connected to Guards Club Park by a low cast-iron and wood footbridge which blocks the near channel (backwater) to boat navigation apart from kayaks. The island gets its alternative name from eel bucks[1] from which the footbridge was adapted in 1865 to allow access to its Guards Club Boathouse (since demolished).

Guards Club Island (upstream side) showing Guards Club Island Bridge and Guards Club Park to the right

Guards Club Island (downstream side) and Maidenhead Railway Bridge with Maidenhead Bridge beyond

Guards Club Island
River Thames Fleet River  A3094  road bridge weir Hedsor Wharf weir bridges Cookham Lock Formosa Island Strand Water White Brook Maidenhead Ditch Mill Race Kayaking Ray Mill Boulter's Lock Taplow mill Jubilee River -- -- (to Old Windsor Lock) Ray Mill Road West Grass Eyot Bridge Eyot Moor Cut  A4  Bath Road High St.(Chapel Arches) York Road Guards Club Island Great Western Main Line Maidenhead Railway Bridge Forlease Road York Stream Weir and boat rollers (proposed Green Lane lock) St Michael's Church, Bray Bray Cut Headpile Eyot Bray Lock, island and weir Bray Mill The Cut, Berkshire  M4  Motorway The Cut Bray marina River Thames

The island is special status part of Guards Club Park (a public open space). Access to the island, a nesting site for water fowl, is restricted between December and June.

References

1. Cove-Smith, Chris (2006). The River Thames Book. Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson. ISBN 0-85288-892-9.

External links

• Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead parks information

See also

• Islands in the River Thames
• Ait