Friends of Aston’s Eyot

Welcome to the Friends of Aston’s Eyot website!!

Unfortunately we’ve had a problem with our website and are currrently in the process of rebuilding it. What you see now is only a small part of the information we want to show you – more will be uploaded over the next week or two.

Do come back later to find out more about this wonderful wild space. Until then, here’s a little bit of background

Aston’s Eyot is a 30 acre (12ha.) ‘island’ bordered by the Thames, Cherwell New Cut and Shire Lake Ditch, approached from Meadow Lane via the Kidneys across a footbridge, or off Iffley Road down Jackdaw Lane past the scrapyard. The land is owned by Christ Church college.

Until the mid-19th century the land was low-lying riverside water meadow, used as a mixture of pasture and market garden.  From late Victorian times until the 1940s it was used as a rubbish tip.  Since then, over the past 6 decades it has developed into a mosaic of habitats: some woodland (both plantation & spontaneous) but most is open or scrub, both of which will gradually develop into woodland if not managed.

Many people enjoy Aston’s Eyot and the Kidneys Nature Park for a quiet stroll, dog walking, running, bird-watching, harvesting wild fruit, picnicking by the river etc., spotting a deer if they’re lucky. However some of Aston’s Eyot is overgrown, paths have been being lost and there are often issues with rough sleepers.   Practical action is needed on an ongoing basis  to enhance the area and keep the mix of open areas, scrub and woods that has wide local appeal.

Christ Church College kindly allow Friends of Aston’s Eyot to do management work on the site.  Oxford City Council have an agreement with the College to undertake regular mowing of the main paths, which is very much appreciated by walkers.

Website hosted by Gavin Allinson and built by Tim Lee with material &/or photos from Anthony Cheke, Tim Lee, Richard M Buck, Graeme Salmon, Jackie Ingrams and Mari Girling/Iffley Fields Community Nature Plan.

We thank Laurie Burrell for the new map and Julian Dourado for designing the logo. Also thanks to all not already mentioned who have contributed to bird and plant lists, especially Ruth Ashcroft, Laurie Burrell, Claire Malone-Lee and look forward to increasing the list here in the future.

And a big thank you to the Patsy Wood Trust, WREN (Waste Recycling Group),the Big Lottery Fund (Awards for All & OPAL Grants)
and Oxford City Council’s late lamented East Area
Parliament for their generous support.

All of the photos on this website have been taken on the Eyot