Raven's Ait
Raven's Ait is an ait (island) in the River Thames belonging to Surrey between Surbiton, Kingston and Hampton Court Park. It lies in the non-tidal reach of the river above Teddington Lock. Raven's Ait is currently privately run as a catering facility and a conference and wedding venue.
Geography
Continuing southwards along Kingston's traditional High Street is Portsmouth Road alongside which the Queen's Promenade that has narrow gardens which mark the end of a Riverside Path from Richmond to Grove Road, Surbiton.[1]
Beside the promenade in front of the river by the ait is the Thames Sailing Club in Kingston.[2] housing only their Thames A Class Raters.[3] Access to the island is from Queen's Promenade, by ferry.
Level with the actual clubhouse upstream by the A307 is small area once a draw dock used for transporting goods to the area and the former fresh water works to the south. Seething Wells is the name for the locality from which the island has direct access.
Post-Industrial Revolution History
In a long period to 1911 the island was home to Kingston Rowing Club, occupying a clubhouse at Canbury Gardens, founded in 1858.[4] Long owned or leased by The Navy League, then the charity responsible for the Sea Cadet Corps and the Girls' Nautical Training Corps, Raven's Ait was the home of TS Neptune, a major sailing, canoeing and boating training establishment until The Navy League invested instead in TS Royalist a small Brig. Until 1970 the buildings were the familiar wooden clad "Sea Cadet Blue", with very old style dormitories and a very naval discipline. In 1971 a major rebuilding operation started, with the entire accommodation except the superintendent's house rebuilt by Haymills Construction. That rebuilding replaced all the old wooden buildings with today's island buildings, which became a conference and wedding centre. During the rebuilding a small number of activities were carried on downstream of Kingston upon Thames, at the Albany Park sailing base opposite The Royal Canoe Club, with instructors commuting daily by boat.
Raven's Ait was accredited by the Royal Yachting Association and by the British Canoe Union to conduct training in their respective disciplines. It also provided a semi-permanent mooring for Sparkle, a catamaran designed by Angus Primrose to be sailed by persons of restricted physical ability and mobility.
See also
Notes
- Location map: 51°23’55"N, 0°18’40"W
- ↑ "Queens Promenade". Kingston upon Thames Council. http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/environment/land_and_premises/recreation_sites/queens_promenade.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ↑ "Thames Sailing Club". http://www.thamessailingclub.co.uk/. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ↑ "Rater Descriptions". Thames Sailing Club. http://www.thamessailingclub.co.uk/. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ↑ H.E. Malden (editor) (1911). "Kingston-upon-Thames: Introduction and borough". A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
