Rod Eyot or Rod Ait is an island in the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 in England near Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...

 on the reach above Hambledon Lock. It is close to Mill Meadows

Mill Meadows

Mill Meadows is part of the flood plain of the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is an area of natural beauty close to the town centre of Henley. Marsh Lock and Rod Eyot are also close by and the River and Rowing Museum, established in 1998, is located there...

 and the River and Rowing Museum

River and Rowing Museum

The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of...

.

The island is populated with ten chalets and a brick cottage and is inaccessible except by boat. River traffic passes on either side in accordance with the rules of the river.
Several of the properties are occupied on a permanent basis, whilst others are weekend recreational homes. Each of the properties has its own riverbank moorings.
Henley Town centre, with its railway station providing links to London Paddington, 35 restaurants, market square and landmark riverside Pub - The Angel on the Bridge - is five minutes by boat from Rod Eyot.
There is another unidentified island which is unpopulated downstream between Rod Eyot and Henley Bridge

Henley Bridge

Henley Bridge is a five-elliptical-arched stone road bridge built in 1786 at Henley-on-Thames over the River Thames, between Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The bridge links Hart Street in Henley with White Hill leading up a steep hill to Remenham Hill...

 known locally as bird island.
Until 1907, when the Town council sold off the plots, it was known as Corporation Island. At the time, only the brick cottage existed, originally being the home of the Farrier who shoed the horses which towed the River Barges at the time.

Rod Eyot features in an old painting owned by the Queen which portrays the river viewed from the Wargrave Road bank. At the time, the island was part of a collection of low lying, uninhabited marshy islands.

See also

• Islands in the River Thames
  Islands in the River Thames
  This article lists the islands in the River Thames, in England. It excludes many of the smaller lock islands that were created when weirs and locks were built, and also some very small islands that immediately adjoin the larger ones. The Isle of Dogs and Isle of Grain are no longer islands although...