This article lists the islands in the River Thames, or at the mouth of a tributary (marked †), in England. It excludes human-made islands built as part of the building of forty-five two-gate locks which each accompany a weir, and islets subordinate to and forming part of the overall shape of another. The suffix -ey (pronounced today ) is common across England and Scotland and cognate with ait and meaning island, a term – as ait or eyot – unusually well-preserved on the Thames. A small minority of list entries are referred to as Island, Ait or Eyot and are vestiges, separated by a depression in the land or high-water-level gully. Most are natural; others were created by excavation of an additional or replacement navigation channel, such as to provide a shorter route, a cut. Many result from accumulation of gravel, silt, wildfowl dung and plant decay and root strengthening, particularly from willows and other large trees. Unlike other large rivers, all today are considered fixed. All in the reaches below Lechlade have been protected against erosion by various combinations of canalisation of the river, building up with dredged material from the river bed, water reeds, concrete, cement, wood or sheet piling. List of former islands Frog Island†, Rainham Isle of Dogs, Poplar, London Isle of Grain, Kent Thorney (or Thorney Island)† covered a broad area surrounding Westminster Abbey Bermondsey†, land and grounds of Bermondsey Abbey, formed by an anabranch (corollary channel) naturally dredged by the mouth of the Neckinger; a vestige of the channel is St Saviour's Dock. Battersea Formerly bounded by the Heath Brook,Falcon Brook and Thames. Beyond the alluvium/silts of the estuary, by the English Channel and North Sea Isle of Thanet†, Kent List of islands The islands are listed in order upstream from the sea. Oxford floodplain In the Oxford area the river splits into several streams across the floodplain, which create numerous islands. On the right bank a large island is created by Seacourt Stream, Botley Stream and Bulstake Stream, and there are smaller islands, including the large mainly built-up island now known as Osney, created by streams between Bulstake Stream and the Thames, including Osney Ditch. The Oxford suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey are on an island created by Bulstake Stream, Hinksey Stream and Weirs Mill Stream. Iffley Meadows is an island west of Iffley Lock, between Weirs Mill Stream, Hinksey Stream and