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Three islands form a linear group by the riverside at the end of the historic main street of Thames Ditton, in the River Thames in Surrey, on the Kingston reach above Teddington Lock. Thames Ditton Island, the largest of the three, is long and has 47 homes with gardens (''moorings''). Boyle Farm Island has a single house and Swan Island, between the two, is the smallest. ==History== Henry VIII lived at Hampton Court long before there were any locks; these reached Teddington from upriver by 1810. The River Thames was then tidal and only Kingston Bridge was above Putney Bridge until Chertsey Bridge was reached.〔Fred S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume 1 General History'' David & Charles 1968〕 As there was no Hampton Court Bridge, instead, a usual way to the King's residence from routes from what was the southwest of Surrey and the surrounding country was by carriage or cart, northwards down the Thames Ditton High Street, over what is now a public Slipway where the river is wide and at low tide straight through this ford to the other side. With the tide was in, ferryman would charge a groat or two.〔 Instead of using Kingston Bridge from London often the monarch would be rowed up from Westminster to this place, then considered to be "in the country".〔 This last stretch of reach to the palace was a notably narrower, more twisting creek, especially at low tide in times of lower rainfall. To effect a grander arrival and alleviate flooding of the village, the river was dug out straight, thus leaving the islands separated from the grounds of Hampton Court on the north bank (in Middlesex). Before locks and weirs controlled the levels, Summer Road in Thames Ditton would flood at most high tides — its mud would not dry in the winter months making it impassable, hence its name.〔 The first wooden bridge over the river at Hampton Court opened in 1753〔(John Roques's map of Surrey, 1768 )〕 but had a toll collected by a bridge-keeper. A ferry remained at the Swan Inn near the islands until at least 1911 as it charged less than the toll.〔 The original rather rickety bridge was replaced by a more substantial timber one in 1778. In 1865 this was replaced by a steel and brick bridge, and in 1933 this was in turn replaced by the existing concrete structure. The Thames locks began to appear late in the 18th century, 'Moulsey' (today called Molesey was built in 1815.〔 Boyle Farm was in the 19th century the property of The First Lord St Leonards (1781—1875), a jurist (legal researcher and publisher), barrister, and Lord Chancellor.〔 Until the 20th century Thames Ditton Island was still part of Middlesex, and then Greater London from 1965. The residents sent a petition to Middlesex County Council in 1930, requesting to be transferred from Middlesex to Surrey.〔http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1930/may/29/thames-ditton-island〕 The island was finally transferred from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London to Esher Urban District, Surrey on 1 April 1970.〔http://wellcomelibrary.org/player/b19880108#0/7/-0.0018,0.5217,1.1188,0.5572〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thames Ditton Island」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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