Firework Ait

Firework Ait is a tiny islet in the River Thames at Windsor, about 100 metres above Windsor Bridge, said to be the smallest island on the Thames with an official name on the map.

Landscape

The islet is the middle one of three small islands close to the Windsor bank, facing a riverside promenade and cycle path that links the town centre with Alexandra Gardens. Islands in the Thames are called aits or eyots, from the Old English for a small island.

History

The name may come from firework displays once set off from the islet. An account from the 1840s suggests the poet Shelley, a pupil at Eton, would have taken his skiff to the islands here. The Windsor reach is overlooked by Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, with Eton College across the river.

An account from the 1840s suggests the poet Shelley, a pupil at Eton, would have taken his skiff to the islands here.

Visiting

Firework Ait is best seen from the promenade in Windsor. You can collect Firework Ait as a sighting in your Island Passport.

Wildlife and area

The river around the island is home to mute swans, grey herons, kingfishers and great crested grebes, and Daubenton’s bats hunt low over the water at dusk. Nearby islands include Deadwater Ait, Baths Island and Romney Island.